Mike Stern

On the heels of his new release, Who Let the Cats Out? (Heads Up), the three-time Grammy nominee weaves various musical influences into his guitar-playing. "I am a jazz player," he says, "but you have to follow your musical heart." He must have learned this lesson while performing with Miles...

By Ernest Barteldes

September 14, 2006

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

On the heels of his new release, Who Let the Cats Out? (Heads Up), the three-time Grammy nominee weaves various musical influences into his guitar-playing. "I am a jazz player," he says, "but you have to follow your musical heart." He must have learned this lesson while performing with Miles Davis and close friend Jaco Pastorius in the Eighties. "Miles Davis had a lot of ideas. He was gut-level, and the groove was more like a feeling, no matter where it came from," Stern says. "I like the idea of being so open. And the jazz guitar world is far more eclectic. The instrument is everywhere, in every musical style." Along for the ride are Bob Franceschini (tenor sax), Lincoln Goines (bass), and Lionel Cordew (drums), all of whom have performed and recorded with Stern over the years. "They're wide-open, awesome musicians in the Miles tradition," he adds. — Ernest Barteldes

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.