One of the top guitarists in jazz over the past two decades, Mike
Stern has earned the respect of colleagues and critics alike while also
exerting a towering influence on a generation of aspiring players. A
guitarist of formidable technique, Stern continues to awe and inspire
six-string aficionados with his seamless blend of bebop facility,
scorching rock intensity and uncommon lyricism. As Jon Chappell of Guitar
magazine put it, "Stern is not only a magician of the fretboard but a
heartfelt and mature composer of great depth."
A major player on the scene since his breakthrough days with Miles
Davis' celebrated comeback band, circa 1981, Stern's sideman credits
include work with such other jazz icons as saxophonist Joe Henderson and
bassist Jaco Pastorius, guitarists Jim Hall and Pat Martino, trumpeters
Tom Harrell, Arturo Sandoval and Tiger Okoshi and saxophonists Michael
Brecker, Bob Berg and David Sanborn as well as Steps Ahead and the Brecker
Brothers Band. But it has been in the role of bandleader-composer and
Atlantic recording artist that Mike has made his most significant and
lasting contribution as an artist.
From his Atlantic debut in 1986, Upside Downside, to his most
recent release, 1999's Play,
Stern has built an impressive body of work that is underscored by his
extraordinary technical skills, his penchant for heartfelt melodies and
the undeniable chemistry he achieves with his bandmates. A heroic soloist
who has the ability to push the envelope to Hendrixian heights, he also
has the capacity to play with Jim Hall-like sensitivity. It is the
relative ease with which he shifts from aggressive bop 'n' roll to an
elegant 'walking on eggshells' gentility that makes Stern such a
remarkably flexible and distinctive player. By combining the legato
approach of jazz sax greats John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins with a few
touches from the rock camp [i.e. distortion and delay pedals along with
some urgent string bending, courtesy of his boyhood blues heroes B.B. King
and Buddy Guy] Stern has fashioned a singular voice that comfortably
occupies both rock and jazz worlds.
"Most of the guys that I am fortunate enough to work with have
those qualities too," says Mike. "They are all very much into the
tradition of straight ahead jazz but they also definitely grew up with
blues and rock and funk, as I did. And there aren't that many guys who can
play this music with conviction in all those areas."
Born on January 10, 1953, Stern began playing guitar at age 12, emulating
the likes of B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. "I liked the feel
of the guitar and I got hooked on it," he recalls. "But I didn't really
get serious about it until I went to Berklee in 1971."
At the Berklee College of Music in Boston his focus shifted to jazz as he
began an intensive period of woodshedding, immersing himself in records by
Miles Davis, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner and Bill Evans while studying with
guitarists Mick Goodrick and Pat Metheny. During his stay at Berklee, Mike
developed a keen appreciation for jazz guitar greats Wes Montgomery and
Jim Hall, who would both exert a huge influence on his own playing. On a
recommendation from Metheny, Stern landed a gig with Blood, Sweat & Tears
in 1976 and remained with the band for two years, appearing on the BS&T
albums More Than Ever and Brand New Day . That gig is also significant
for introducing Mike to two musicians who would later figure prominently
in his life -- percussionist Don Alias and bassist Jaco Pastorius.
Following his stint with BS&T, Stern returned to Boston and began
studying privately with local jazz guru Charlie Banacos (whom he continues
to study with via mail). In 1979, Mike joined Billy Cobham's powerhouse
fusion band. Two years later he joined Miles Davis' group, making his
public debut with the band on June 27, 1981 at the Kix nightclub in Boston
(a performance that was documented on the CBS live album, We Want Miles ).
Mike remained with Miles through 1983, appearing on Man With The Horn, We
Want Miles and Star People (alongside fellow guitarist John Scofield, who
guests on Mike's latest as a leader, Play ). From 1983 to 1984 he toured
in Jaco Pastorius' Word Of Mouth band and in 1985 he returned to Miles for
a second tour of duty that lasted close to a year.
In the summer of 1986, Stern went out on the road with David
Sanborn and later joined Steps Ahead featuring vibist Mike Mainieri,
saxophonist Michael Brecker, bassist Darryl Jones and drummer Steve Smith.
His debut on Atlantic Records also came in 1986. Upside Downside featured
such celebrated colleagues as Sanborn, Pastorius, saxophonist Bob Berg,
bassists Mark Egan and Jeff Andrews, keyboardist Mitch Forman and drummers
Dave Weckl and Steve Jordan. From 1986 through 1988, Mike was a member of
Michael Brecker's potent quintet, appearing on Don't Try This At Home.
Stern's second Atlantic album, 1988's Time In Place, continued the
promise of his debut and featured Peter Erskine on drums, Jim Beard on
keyboards, Jeff Andrews on bass, Don Alias on percussion and Don Grolnick
on organ. He followed that success with 1989's Jigsaw, which was produced
by fellow guitarist Steve Khan and included Mike's menacing Miles Davis
tribute, "Chief." In 1989, Stern formed a cooperative touring group with
Bob Berg that also included drummer Dennis Chambers and bassist Lincoln
Goines. They remained a working unit through 1992 and are featured on
Mike's 1991 Atlantic release, Odds Or Evens.
Stern joined a reunited Brecker Brothers Band in 1992 and became a key
factor in the success of that popular group for the next two years. His
acclaimed and decidedly jazzy 1993 Atlantic release, Standards (And Other
Songs), led to Mike being named Best Jazz Guitarist Of The Year by the
readers and critics of Guitar Player magazine. He followed that up with
two hard-hitting offerings in 1994's Is What It Is and 1996's Between The
Lines, both of which received Grammy nominations.
In 1997, Stern returned to a jazzier aesthetic with Give And Take,
a looser, more spontaneous session featuring bassist John Patitucci,
drummer Jack DeJohnette, percussionist Don Alias and special guests
Michael Brecker and David Sanborn. On the strength of that superbly
swinging effort, which included freewheeling covers of Sonny Rollin's
"Oleo," John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" and Cole Porter's "I Love You" along
with a scintillating trio rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Who Knows," Mike
won the Orville W. Gibson Award for Best Jazz Guitarist.
With Play, his ninth release on Atlantic, Stern summons up more
fretboard magic in a six-string summit meeting with fellow guitarists John
Scofield and Bill Frisell. Drummers Ben Perowsky and Dennis Chambers,
bassists Lincoln Goines and saxophonist Bob Malach round out the cast on
this gathering of three of the most influential and respected guitarists
of their generation.
"They're two of my favorite musicians who just happen to be
guitarists," he says of Frisell and Scofield. "It's been interesting to
watch them try different things over the years and still keep their own
unique musical voices. And that has certainly inspired me to keep on doing
that myself. So it was great to finally get a chance to do a project like
this. We're all really close and have a long history together so that was
naturally a big part of it...the fun vibe in the studio. And I think the
music came out sounding like that -- kind of playful".
Play represents the next step in the ongoing journey of Mike Stern,
a true guitar innovator who continues to astound with chops, musicality
and heart.
Mike Stern - Atlantic Records Discography:
- Play - 83219
- Give And Take - 83036
- Between The Lines- 82835
- Is What It Is- 82571
- Standards (And Other Songs) - 82419
- Odds Or Evens- 82297
- Jigsaw- 82027
- Time In Place- 81840
- Upside Downside - 81656
