- The singer-songwriter from Durham, England, now living in France, presents his second CD "These Days" All those who – two years ago – felt like struck by lightning by Stephenson’s first CD "Light Green Ball" will find again so many things which are easy to love – the Beatles, James Taylor, being head over heels in love on a glorious spring day.

How does the sensitive Englishman’s song-writing work? Stephenson takes stories he has lived through himself or has been told by others, and poeticizes his material into a finely woven texture so appealing that one feels like singing along with Paul on first listening to his songs.

«listen to sample» "These Days" (60sec. mp3-version!)

As usual Stockfisch’s renowned musicians on this CD deliver the whole spectrum between the slightest sonic impressionism and the bold, dynamic brushstrokes of the artist-composer.

A true mark of genius is to be found in the last track with its joyful tune reminiscent of folk dances of old – then fading into the noise of fireworks. Even in the midst of summer you can feel the icy air of winter, typically full of fire, smoke and champagne to be drunk in a "wonderful world".

Listener – what on earth has got into you? "Light Green Ball” was a poem, and this is also true of "These Days”. Like planning a journey into the unknown with the friends of one’s golden youth, perhaps a journey to one’s own self. Verse of a time full of promise, written of what was or what could have been. Maybe you will find your loved ones there too? In Paul Stephenson’s music the answer is a comforting "yes”, beautiful like light itself, captured in the cut of a diamond: Heaven on Earth Today.

"Light Green Ball" - this wonderful collection of songs, recorded in audiophile-quality, was released in February 2002.


"Wonderful vocals, wonderful arrangements – all of the songs radiate optimism." FOLKER 03/2002

"Light Green Ball" was voted by the jury of FOLKER music magazine as the #5 CD on their list of best albums of the year 2002.

«listen to sample» "No Lie" (60sec. mp3-version!)

Paul Stephenson and Chris Jones harmonize wonderfully - a guitar sound that is in a class by itself. Three different bass players appeared on Light Green Ball: Hans-Jörg Maucksch (Fretless), Grischka Zepf (Electric 5- and 6-string) and Michael Cammann (Double Bass). The album also features the multi-instrumentalist Beo Brockhausen, who played 13(!) different instruments in the course of this production: soprano sax, darabuka, hurdy-gurdy, percussion, bamboo clarinet, low whistle, tin whistle, accordion, sarod, hammered-dulcimer, bowed psaltery, shaker and mandola. Also appearing were Martin Huch (dobro), Mike Silver (backing vocals), Anne Marie Harer, Birgit Rieck, Christoph Harer (strings) and Christine Maringer-Tries (backing vocals).).

Paul Stephenson, in his own words:

"The story of my life

I grew up in the northeast of England and my first musical heroes were the Beatles. I'm still a fan of McCartney's songs and Lennon's granny glasses. My other big hero is James Taylor. JT runs like a golden thread through my friends in musical circles (including the acoustic guitar world's best-kept secret, Chris Jones) and my musical taste - he was first produced by McCartney, worked with lots of the other great American songwriters of the 1960s and 70s and has another big fan from the northeast of England called Sting (the nearest I have to a third musical hero). I learned to play the guitar listening to my heroes plus Simon & Garfunkel, Dylan and, from this side of the Atlantic, Ralph McTell and other folkies.

I set out for Amsterdam and Europe in 1979 to make a living of sorts from music. I played mostly in bars and youth centres, with the occasional festival or concert and appearances on radio and (once) television. I played in duos, trios and bands, and made recordings whenever I could in whatever circumstances I could afford and with whichever musicians I could round up for love of music,

dressing my songs up in all kinds of usually ill-fitting clothes. But mostly I played solo, and my most popular recording was completely solo, just a guitar and a voice (A bend in the road, released on CD in 1991). I changed my name to Tom Zola for that recording, after the two great nineteenth-century novelists Thomas Hardy and Emile Zola. TZ was paul stephenson after he'd got through the daily grind of the daytime job and getting the kids from school and had time to dream a little.

Well, it was a long dream ...

I moved to France a few years ago, and work as a translator. These days, I dream mostly in a corner of the bedroom where I keep my elementary and ageing recording equipment, which I used to finally dress up my songs in comfortable clothes. Gunter Pauler, at Stockfisch Records, got to hear them and I have the feeling that the album he's about to produce is the place I've been heading for all this time ..."