In a career that spans three decades and a discography that includes more than a dozen eclectic and innovative recordings, five-time Grammy nominee Mike Stern has established himself as one of the premier jazz and jazz-fusion guitarists and composers of his generation.
Stern’s music has always come from a colorful and diverse part of town a place where numerous artistic styles converge to create a fresh sound thats rooted in jazz but refuses to adhere to rigid borders. Since his earliest recordings, this former bandmate of Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Billy Cobham and other high-profile innovators has grafted elements of rock, blues, soul and more to his solid jazz foundations. On Sterns street, anybody who brings a sense of energy, eclecticism and passion to the craft of music is welcome to play.
Bill Evans, the sax player, who shares a name with one of the most influential pianists in jazz, has been on the scene since 1980, when he emerged playing in Miles Davis’ group at age 22. He recorded six albums with Davis, and also worked with John McLaughlin and the Mahavishu Orchestra and Herbie Hancock, along others. Since 1990 he has been leading his own groups, drawing on a wide variety of mostly contemporary styles on his 19 solo albums. Back in 2006 he started a group he called Soulgrass, inspired by the banjo-dominated music of Bela Fleck’s Flecktones. Fleck appeared on the 2006 Soulgrass album which won a Grammy nomination.
Stern and Evans will be joined by drummer, producer and composer Dave Weckl and the master bass player Tom Kennedy.