Mike Stern

is one of the most established electric guitarists in contemporary jazz. He studied at Berklee College of Music, Boston, and has performed for Tiger Okoshi's band "Tiger's Baku", "Blood, Sweat & Tears", Billy Cobham and Miles Davis as well as for several other jazz artists including bassman Dieter Ilg. He has also recorded several solo albums for Atlantic Jazz.

When he first became known internationally as guitarist of Miles Davis' comeback band in the early 1980s, he was immediately attacked by many jazz critics for his rock- and blues-influenced guitar style. Most of them neglected their professional duties in not even checking his background - in which case they would have found out that he already had a reuptation as one of the top bebop guitarists when he was studying at Berklee. While magazines for musicians accepted his style very fast, it took years to convince normal music critics of his considerable talents as an unconventional soloist.

His trademark solo style includes triads superimposed on different chords and chromatic movements of triads and other patterns in and out of the harmonic structure behind the solo. This example was taken from Dieter Ilg's album "Summerhill", on which Mike can be heard on every tune.

His album "Is What It Is", which was produced by Jim Beard, was nominated in January 1995 for a "Grammy Award".

Early in his career, Mike Stern was addicted to drugs. He got rid of his addictions in the middle of the 1980s and does not even smoke anymore.

He lives in New York with his wife Leni Stern and their cats Jimi and Wes. When he is not busy touring or recording he sometimes performs at the "55 Bar" in New York.

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Author: Alex Mercke-mail: 73233,557@compuserve.com
Last Updated: Sam, 18. Feb 1995