MIKE STERN JOINS ALL ACCESS LIVE WITH KEVIN RANKIN TO CHAT MILES DAVIS, DIXIE DREGS & MORE.

One of the great jazz guitarists of his generation, Mike 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 in his playing on the 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.

One of the top guitarists in jazz since his breakthrough days with Miles Davis' celebrated comeback band of the early 1980s, Stern 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. As Jon Chappell of Guitar magazine noted, “Stern is not only a magician of the fretboard but a heartfelt and mature composer of great depth.” By combining the legato approach of jazz saxophone greats like John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson with a few touches from the rock camp (i.e., distortion and delay pedals along with some urgent string bending, courtesy of his boyhood blues heroes B.B. King and Buddy Guy), Stern has successfully fashioned a singular voice that comfortably occupies both rock and jazz worlds.

Born on January 10, 1953, he began playing guitar at age 12, emulating the likes of B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. “I liked the feel of the guitar and I got hooked on it,” he recalled in an interview. “But I didn't really get serious about it until I went to Berklee in 1971.” At the Berklee College of Music in Boston his focus shifted to jazz as he began an intensive period of woodshedding, immersing himself in records by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner and Bill Evans while studying with guitarists Mick Goodrick and Pat Metheny. During his stint at Berklee, he developed a keen appreciation for jazz guitar greats Wes Montgomery and Jim Hall, both of whom would exert a huge influence on his own playing. On a recommendation from Metheny, Stern landed a gig with Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1976 and remained with the band for two years, appearing on the BS&T albums More Than Ever and Brand New Day. That gig is also significant for introducing the guitarist to two musicians who would later figure prominently in his life — percussionist Don Alias and bassist Jaco Pastorius.

Following his stint with BS&T, Stern returned to Boston and began studying privately with local jazz guru Charlie Banacos. In 1979, he joined Billy Cobham's powerhouse fusion band and two years later he joined Miles Davis' group, making his public debut with the band on June 27, 1981 at the Kix nightclub in Boston (a performance that was documented on the CBS live album, We Want Miles). Stern remained with Miles through 1983, also appearing on Man With The Horn and Star People). From 1983 to 1984, he toured in Jaco Pastorius' Word Of Mouth band and in 1985 returned to Miles for a second tour of duty that lasted close to a year.

Stern was presented with Guitar Player magazine’s Certified Legend Award on January 21, 2012. In June of that year, he released All Over the Place, which featured a delegation of high-caliber electric and acoustic bass players, including Esperanza Spalding, Richard Bona, Victor Wooten, Anthony Jackson, Dave Holland, Tom Kennedy, Will Lee and Victor Bailey. On 2014’s Eclectic, Stern went toe-to-toe with Texas guitar slinger Eric Johnson, cutting a wide stylistic swath on eleven originals while showcasing their mutual love of Jimi Hendrix on a cover of his slow blues classic, “Red House.” Recorded in three days at Johnson’s studio in Austin, Electric was hailed as “a dazzling outing from two formidable, well-matched guitar heroes” by Jazz Times magazine.

2024 finds Mike currently on tour showcasing a brand new album "Echoes and Other Songs", having just completed a run of shows in Asia, and is preparing a European tour. We are lucky enough to catch the dynamo on a short break to chat guitar heroes!