If you have ever wished that you could hear musical legends like Miles Davis or Blood, Sweat & Tears live, then don’t miss acclaimed guitarist Mike Stern and his band. Northwest Arkansas audiences have one chance to hear “one of the 75 greatest guitar players of all time” (Downbeat Magazine) in an intimate setting on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 pm as part of the Starrlight Jazz Club.
One of the great jazz guitarists of his generation, Stern has the unique ability to play with the finesse and lyricism of Jim Hall, the driving swing of Wes Montgomery and the turbulent, overdriven attack of Jimi Hendrix. Growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, Stern revered all three of those guitar immortals, along with such potent blues guitarists as Albert and B.B. King. Aspects of those seminal influences can be heard all 18 recordings he has released as a leader or in his acclaimed sideman work for Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, the Brecker Brothers, Jaco Pastorius, Steps Ahead, David Sanborn; Blood, Sweat & Tears; Joe Henderson and the all-star Four Generations of Miles band.
“Stern has a voluminous discography of classic recordings but the excitement and energy of his performances, his interplay with other musicians and his engaging stage presence, raises the bar for this concert to a higher level,” said Robert Ginsburg, Walton Arts Center’s jazz curator and host of KUAF’s Shades of Jazz. “Add to the evening the addition of Mike’s wife, Leni Stern, who is a celebrated guitarist as well, and a powerhouse rhythm section, and we have a monumental concert in the making.”
One of his more recent albums, Eleven, is an encounter with Grammy-winning keyboardist-composer-producer Jeff Lorber, who has also performed at Walton Arts Center. Co-produced by bassist Jimmy Haslip, who had previously worked with the guitarist on the Yellowjacket’s 2008 album, Lifecycle, this lively collaboration marked his triumphant return to recording after a freak accident that threatened to end his career.
Stern was hailing a cab outside his apartment in Manhattan July 3, 2016 when he tripped over some hidden construction debris left in the street, fracturing both of his humerus bones (the long bones that run from the shoulder to the elbow) in the fall. Left with significant nerve damage in his right hand which prevented him from doing the simplest tasks, including holding a pick, Stern faced a series of surgeries and subsequent physical therapy before he could regain control of his nerve-damaged picking hand.
Stern has solidified himself as one of the top guitarists in jazz, from his breakthrough days with Miles Davis' celebrated comeback band of the early 1980s to his two-year stint with Blood, Sweat & Tears. He 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, he continues to awe and inspire six-string aficionados with his seamless blend of bebop facility, scorching rock intensity and uncommon lyricism.