Jens Kruger (born 1962) is the banjo player of the Kruger Brothers, a trio with his brother Uwe on guitar and Joel Landsberg on bass. The brothers grew up in Switzerland and now live in Wilkes County, North Carolina. Kruger writes long-form music for banjo, including works with symphony orchestras. He won the Steve Martin Prize in 2013 and entered the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame in 2021.
Why Kruger matters
Kruger has taken the five-string banjo into concert halls with orchestras and string quartets, while keeping a bluegrass and folk core. He has recorded long works like Appalachian Concerto and Spirit of the Rockies, and he plays Bach on the banjo.
Life and career
Jens Kruger was born in Germany on November 18, 1962, and his family moved to Switzerland. He and his older brother Uwe were drawn to records by Doc Watson, Flatt and Scruggs, and Bill Monroe. By 12 Jens was playing banjo in bands. After the brothers split up in 1982, Jens went to the United States and performed with Bill Monroe before going home. In 1987 the brothers reunited. With bassist Joel Landsberg they played MerleFest in North Carolina in 1997, were invited back every year after, and later moved to Wilkes County.
In 2007 the Kruger Brothers and the Bangor Symphony Orchestra received an NEA award for Artistic Excellence to support Jens’s Music From the Spring. He was cited for the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame in 2011. On September 27, 2013, the Kruger Brothers played Jack of the Wood on the Late Show with David Letterman with the Kontras Quartet and Steve Martin, and Jens received the Steve Martin Prize. The trio’s records include Appalachian Concerto (2011), Remembering Doc Watson (2013), Spirit of the Rockies (2014), Lucid Dreamer (2015), and Roan Mountain Suite (2017). He entered the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame in 2021.
Playing style
Kruger plays three-finger banjo. In his Deering masterclasses he talks about intuitive playing and building from the melody. He has arranged Bach’s first cello suite for banjo.
Influences and legacy
Kruger learned from records by Doc Watson, Flatt and Scruggs, and Bill Monroe. He plays beside his brother Uwe and Joel Landsberg. The brothers honored Watson with Remembering Doc Watson in 2013.
Signature tunes and songs
Jack of the Wood Sarah Up 18 North.
Essential recordings
Appalachian Concerto, the Kruger Brothers (2011) Remembering Doc Watson, the Kruger Brothers (2013) Spirit of the Rockies, the Kruger Brothers (2014) Roan Mountain Suite, the Kruger Brothers (2017)
Awards and honors
NEA Artistic Excellence award, with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra (2007) Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame, regional musician (2011) Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass (2013) American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame (2021)
Watch and listen
Kruger plays the prelude from Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 on banjo.
Here he plays his tune Sarah at NashCamp in 2010.
What to learn from Kruger
Watch his Deering masterclass on intuitive playing and melody. Then pick a simple melody you can sing and play it on the banjo with as few roll notes as possible. The technique to steal is melody first, the subject of his masterclass.
Sources
Kruger Brothers, Wikipedia About, the Kruger Brothers
Related players
See the banjo players hub and the bluegrass banjo guide for more pickers. Kruger learned from Doc Watson records and won the same Steve Martin Prize as Noam Pikelny and Sammy Shelor.