mike stern
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Remembering Jim Beard
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I first came across Jim Beard’s music on the Michael Brecker recording Now You See It… . He was playing keyboards on this contemporary jazz recording, making modern sounds and jazzing things up. His compositions on that album, “Ode to the Doo Day Day” and especially “Quiet City,” remain some of my favorite memorable songs…
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Review: Yellowjackets featuring Mike Stern – Lifecycle
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The Yellowjackets – where do I start? How about at the beginning, when they were the backup band for Robben Ford? Much has been written and chronicled about this early chapter of their history, especially in light of their 2006 anniversary release, Twenty-Five. I bring all this up because of the inevitable comparison that will…
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Review: Palmystery from Victor Wooten
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Victor Wooten is a musician with a penchant for creativity and this is clearly heard on his latest release, Palmystery. The disc captures this versatile artist in his element as he succinctly takes listeners on a genre-bending tale during which themes of mysticism and spirituality are explored. This premise is shared in Wooten’s concurrently released…
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Jazz-Rock Fusion from Grose, Stern, Di Meola
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Jazz-rock fusion lives on in these new releases by masters of the electric guitar. It’s worth noting that every composition of each of these recordings is an original by the artist. Tom Grose – jetsam and At Bay Tom Grose is a name you may not have heard. You should go check out his music….
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Guitarists Rock Steely Dan on The Royal Dan
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Steely Dan fans won’t have to wait until this summer’s tour to hear fresh Dan. The Tone Center label has released a new collection of ten Steely Dan covers called The Royal Dan. It’s all guitarists covering classics like “Josie,” “Bodhisattva,” “Peg,” and more. I’m betting you’re intrigued at the possibility of hearing Al Di…