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MIKE STERN BIO

In a career that spans three decades and a discography that includes more than a dozen eclectic and innovative recordings, six-time GRAMMY nominee Mike Stern has established himself as one of the premier jazz and jazz-fusion guitarists and composers of his generation.

Born in Boston in January 1953, Stern grew up in Washington, DC, then returned to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music. After college, he got his start as a guitar player with Blood, Sweat & Tears at age 22. Following a brief stint with Billy Cobham’s powerhouse fusion band from 1979 to 1980, he moved to New York City, where he was recruited by Miles Davis to play a key role in Miles’ celebrated comeback band of 1981 (which also included bassist Marcus Miller, drummer Al Foster, percussionist Mino Cinelu and saxophonist Bill Evans). During his three-year period with Miles, Stern appeared on three recordings with the jazz maestro – Man with the Horn, Star People and the live We Want Miles. He toured with Jaco Pastorius’ Word of Mouth Band from 1983 through 1985 and returned to Miles’ lineup for a second tour of duty that lasted close to a year.

In 1985, Stern recorded Neesh, his first recording as a leader, for the Japan-based Trio label. A year later, he made his debut on Atlantic with Upside Downside, featuring such celebrated colleagues as David Sanborn, Jaco Pastorius, saxophonist Bob Berg, bassists Mark Egan and Jeff Andrews, keyboardist Mitch Forman and drummers Dave Weckl and Steve Jordan. Over the next two years, Stern was a member of Michael Brecker’s potent quintet, appearing on Don't Try This At Home.

In the summer of 1986, Stern took to the road with David Sanborn and later joined an electrified edition of Steps Ahead, which featured Mike Mainieri on midi vibes, Michael Brecker on the Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI), Darryl Jones on electric bass and Steve Smith on drums.

Stern’s second Atlantic album, Time In Place (1988), delivered on the promise of his debut. He followed with Jigsaw (1989) and Odds Or Evens (1991), both of which ably showcased his legendary guitar prowess and musicality. During this period he also formed a touring group with Bob Berg that included drummer Dennis Chambers and bassist Lincoln Goines. They remained a working unit from 1989 to 1992, at which point Stern joined Michael and Randy Brecker in a reunited Brecker Brothers Band, appearing on Return of the Brecker Brothers, released in 1992. Other notable sideman credits include work with the late tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson and the live recording 4 Generations of Miles, in which he joins other Miles Davis alumni George Coleman on tenor sax, Jimmy Cobb on drums and Ron Carter on bass.

The ‘90s proved to be a prolific and critically successful period for Stern. His acclaimed 1993 release, Standards (And Other Songs), earned him the pick of Best Jazz Guitarist of the Year by the readers and critics of Guitar Player magazine. He followed that up with two hard hitting offerings – Is What It Is in 1994 and Between The Lines in 1996 – both of which scored GRAMMY nominations. In 1997, he recorded Give And Take with bassist John Patitucci, drummer Jack DeJohnette, percussionist Don Alias and special guests Michael Brecker and David Sanborn. Their freewheeling covers of Sonny Rollins’ “Oleo,” John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” Cole Porter’s “I Love You” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Who Knows” helped Stern earn the Orville W. Gibson Award for Best Jazz Guitarist that year. Stern’s ninth release for Atlantic was a six-string summit with colleagues Bill Frisell and John Scofield that was appropriately titled Play. His Voices (2001) release, his first foray into vocal music, was also another GRAMMY nominee.

After 15 years with Atlantic, Stern shifted to ESC for the 2004 release of These Times, an eclectic set that included guest appearances by some high-profile session players – bassist Richard Bona, saxophonist Kenny Garrett and banjoist Bela Fleck.

Stern joined Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group, with the August 2006 release of Who Let the Cats Out? Regardless of who let them out, the cats are indeed loose on this album, and making a serious noise. Included on the guest roster are bassists Richard Bona (who handles vocals on two tracks), Anthony Jackson, Meshell Ndegeocello, Chris Minh Doky and Victor Wooten, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, saxophonists Bob Franceschini and Bob Malach, drummers Dave Weckl and Kim Thompson, harmonica player Gregoire Maret, and keyboardist/producer Jim Beard. Stern received his 4th GRAMMY nomination for Who Let The Cats Out? .

At the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal in June 2007, Stern was honored with the Miles Davis Award, which was created to recognize internationally acclaimed jazz artists whose body of work has contributed significantly to the renewal of the genre. Previous recipients include Keith Jarrett, Michael Brecker and Charlie Haden. Stern was also the artist in residence.

During that same festival, Stern joined the renowned Yellowjackets for some electrifying live performances. The dates served as the catalyst for Lifecycle, a Yellowjackets/Stern studio collaboration considered by many to be one of the most innovative and memorable jazz albums of 2008. The first Yellowjackets recording in 15 years to feature a guitar player, Lifecycle illustrates the kind of energy and creative brilliance that results when five talented players pool their individual skills as songwriters and musicians and merge into an entity that’s far greater than the sum of its parts. Lifecycle was later nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.

A frequent world traveler, Stern took his group to Europe, Asia and elsewhere throughout much of 2008 – an ambitious itinerary that included a memorable one-nighter at the New Morning, the longstanding and highly celebrated club in Paris, France. This electrifying show in front of a capacity-plus crowd in May 2008 was captured on film for posterity and presented in New Morning: The Paris Concert, a live DVD released in March 2009. Backing Stern on this gig is the expert crew of saxophonist Bob Franceschini, bassist Tom Kennedy and drummer Dave Weckl (who also mixed the DVD).

In February 2009, in the first in a series of articles to celebrate DownBeat’’s 75th anniversary, Stern was named to the venerable jazz magazine’s list of 75 Great Guitarists. The list spotlights many all-time great jazz, blues and beyond guitarists and shows the wide-ranging influence that the guitar has had on music since it made its way into jazz in the 1920s.

In August 2009, Stern releases Big Neighborhood. Aiding him in this latest chapter in his never-ending quest for the new and better groove is a long list of talented guests: guitarists Steve Vai and Eric Johnson; bassist-vocalists Esperanza Spalding and Richard Bona; jamband godfathers Medeski Martin & Wood; drummers Dave Weckl, Terri Lyne Carrington, Cindy Blackman and Lionel Cordew; bassists Chris Minh Doky and Lincoln Goines, saxophonists Bob Franceschini and Bob Malach, trumpeter Randy Brecker and keyboardist/producer Jim Beard. Big Neighborhood was nominated for a GRAMMY award in 2010.

GUITARIST MIKE STERN PLAYS WITH TALENTED FRIENDS IN A BIG NEIGHBORHOOD
Guest artists on new recording include Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Esperanza Spalding, Richard Bona, Randy Brecker, Medeski Martin & Wood, Cindy Blackman and others

Six-time GRAMMY nominated guitarist Mike 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 that’s 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 Stern’s street, anybody who brings a sense of energy, eclecticism and passion to the craft of music is welcome to play.

Stern invites fans and newcomers alike into his rich and diverse little corner of the world with the August 11, 2009, worldwide release of Big Neighborhood (HUCD 3157) on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group. Aiding Stern in this latest chapter of his never-ending quest for the new and better groove is a long list of talented guests: guitarists Steve Vai and Eric Johnson; bassist-vocalists Esperanza Spalding and Richard Bona; jamband godfathers Medeski Martin & Wood; drummers Dave Weckl, Terri Lyne Carrington, Cindy Blackman and Lionel Cordew; bassists Chris Minh Doky and Lincoln Goines, and several others.

With a crew this large and diverse, the idea of the album title should be pretty clear, says Stern. “Music is like a big neighborhood – a place where anything and everything can happen,” he explains. “You can find all kinds of things in a big neighborhood – all kinds of different people, all kinds of different ideas and perspectives, and of course, all kinds of different sounds.”

With all of this going on in a single recording, Stern’s primary objective was to capture the energy as live as possible, with few if any overdubs. This was no easy task, as a few of the artists had schedules that prohibited meeting in a central location. Consequently, while Stern was able to record a good part of the album in his hometown of New York City, he had to travel (with rhythm section) to Austin, Texas to record with Eric Johnson, and then to Los Angeles to record with Steve Vai and Dave Weckl. In the end, the album’s eleven tracks came together in a neighborhood that spans two coasts with a stop in the Lone Star State.

“This record is in a lot of places – not just in terms of where it was recorded, but in the various voices and styles that are represented,” says Stern. “There’s jazz here, there’s rock, there’s Latin, there are elements of Middle Eastern music. I dig records like that. Basically, I guess the thread that hopefully holds all this together is the fact that I wrote all the tunes on this project, I play on all of them, and the concept of how all this fits together is mine with some great help from the guy that produced the record, Jim Beard. I hear it when I’m writing. I’ll think, ‘This song has kind of an African groove, so I should get Richard Bona to play on it,’ or ‘This song has a melodic groove, which is perfect for Esperanza.’ I just follow my instincts and pick the tunes that will all work together on one record, and will show off what each person can do.”

Big Neighborhood opens with the churning, rocked-up title track, in which Stern and Vai face off and create a thundering wall of distorted guitar riffs. “This tune obviously comes out of a Jimi Hendrix inspiration,” says Stern. “Steve rocks it with so much attitude. Along with the technique, he also has a lot of humor in his playing, which I love.” Vai reappears several tracks later in the Middle-Eastern flavored “Moroccan Roll,” a song inspired by the exotic music of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Pakistani vocalist who appeared on a number of recordings by Peter Gabriel, Eddie Vedder and other rock and pop artists of the West in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Bassist-vocalist Esperanza Spalding and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington make a compelling team on three consecutive tracks – “Song for Pepper,” “Coupe de Ville” and “Bird Blue,” all of which follow understated arrangements to make room for the tight counterpoint set up by the two featured musicians. “Esperanza’s voice knocks me out,” says Stern. “She sings so beautifully, and she and Terri Lyne sound amazing together on all the tracks they’re on. Esperanza does this vocalese thing, where she’s not really singing words. She just comes up with these vowel sounds and syllables that are beautiful in the context of the music.”

For the shimmering and funky “Check One,” Stern enlists the services of keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin and bassist Chris Wood – the seamless jazz-funk trio better known as Medeski Martin & Wood – along with fiery saxophonist Bob Malach. “Medeski Martin & Wood have an incredible vibe together,” says Stern. “We didn’t get the chance to rehearse, but we didn’t really need to. We just went into the studio and got it in a couple takes. I just let them do what they do.”

Laid back but engaging at the same time, “Hope You Don’t Mind” features trumpeter Randy Brecker, a long-time collaborator with Stern. The guitar and horn weave effortlessly in and out of an intriguing melody, each taking plenty of space to foray into solo territory. Pianist Jim Beard, bassist Chris Minh Doky and drummer Cindy Blackman hold it all together. “I played with the Brecker Brothers over the years,” Stern recalls, “and Randy and I continue to do a lot of touring together. We have several dates lined up in the fall and through the end of the year. Given how much we’ve been working together, I just wanted him to be a part of this record.”

Mike Stern’s Big Neighborhood is an open community where everyone is welcome. Everyone has something worthwhile to say, and everyone is given plenty of room to say it. “The thing that really gets me going is listening to all these very different artists on this record interpret my songs,” says Stern. “In the end, everything is unified by the mere fact that there's a lot of spirit and a lot of fun in the music. That’s really the common thread. There’s just that vibe that emerges when good musicians play their hearts out. Nothing else really matters as far as I’m concerned…I think anyone who likes any of these artists will really dig what they did on this record.”

GUITARIST MIKE STERN MAKES THE FRENCH CONNECTION ON NEW HEADS UP DVD
New Morning: The Paris Concert is due at retail on March 24, 2009

Guitarist Mike Stern, a six-time GRAMMY nominee and a pivotal figure in the later years of the Miles Davis saga, is regarded as one of the most innovative jazz musicians on any continent in the past three decades. A frequent world traveler, Stern took his trio to Europe, Asia and elsewhere throughout much of 2008 – an ambitious itinerary that included a memorable one-nighter at the New Morning, the longstanding and highly celebrated club in Paris, France.

This electrifying show in front of a capacity-plus crowd in May 2008 was captured on film for posterity, and is presented in New Morning: The Paris Concert (HUDV 7166), a live DVD scheduled for worldwide release on March 24, 2009, on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.

Filmed in high-definition TV, the DVD captures nearly two hours of riveting performance footage, as well as clips from the soundcheck and an interview with Stern about the trio, the performance, the celebrated French club and the passionate audience on hand for the show. Backing Stern on this gig is the expert crew of saxophonist Bob Franceschini, bassist Tom Kennedy and incredible world renowned drummer Dave Weckl (who also mixed the DVD) – all of whom take the viewer on what DVD producer/director Daniel Farhi calls “a journey of pure musical delight.”

Kennedy and Weckl – both St. Louis natives – have been working on and off as a unit since their teenage years, which makes for a seamless groove throughout the New Morning performance. “There’s an incredible chemistry between those two,” says Stern. “You can’t recreate that by putting any two guys together. Just based on the number of years they’ve played together, what they are as a whole is bigger than the two of them individually.”

Likewise, a similar chemistry among all five musicians in the current Stern lineup had emerged by the time cameras were rolling in Paris. “We had been playing together so much on that tour, it just seemed like there was always something cool happening at every gig,” says Stern. “We knew the music very well, so it was pretty much a given that we’d be able to play the stuff without any confusion. But whether or not it will be inspired is something you never know until the night of the performance. But it seemed like this particular gig had some cool stuff happening that everyone got into spontaneously.”

The eight-song set opens with “Tumble Home,” a minor blues piece that runs the gamut of dynamics and emotions. “It starts out with Dave on brushes,” says Stern. “He knows I really like that, and I love the way he plays brushes. He brings it way down. It gets kind of lyrical, and there are plenty of places to go. And then he picks up the sticks and we start swinging for a while, and by the end of it, it’s pretty rocking. It goes to a lot of places in a single song, which I like, and it’s very spontaneous. I like a lot of dynamics, and the song definitely has that.”

“Tumble Home” is immediately followed by “KT,” a song written for drummer Kim Thompson, who appeared on Stern’s 2006 Heads Up debut, Who Let the Cats Out? “Actually, I had already written the song before we made that record, but I didn’t have a title for it,” says Stern. “Kim said, ‘I want that tune to be for me.’ So I said, ‘Okay, I’ll call it KT.’”

“That’s All It Is” is a brand new song that is as simple and direct as the title implies. “Miles used to say that about some of his tunes,” says Stern. “He’d come up with something very short and very simple and then he’d say in his usual raspy voice, ‘That’s all it is,’ and we were supposed to make something out of it. But it was usually pretty clear what he wanted. This tune is like that. It’s a simple, fun tune.”

In the home stretch, Stern and company serve up energized renditions of two songs that predate the Heads Up era, yet merge seamlessly with the material from Who Let the Cats Out? earlier in the set: “Wing and a Prayer,” from Between the Lines (1996), and “Chromazone,” from Time In Place (1988). Both tracks serve to balance the equation that defines the live Stern experience: a masterful guitarist, a top-shelf crew of musicians and an audience in perfect tune with the music.

“It was just one night – the only night we played there,” says Stern. “But the crowd was really responsive. It was a special night, one of those moments when the band and the audience connect on a level that you can’t even explain. The best part is that, with this DVD, we’re able to capture that moment and bring it to an even bigger audience.”

Who Let The Cats Out Press Release

Mike Stern, one of the most recognized and celebrated guitarists of his generation, will release his Heads Up International worldwide debut album, Who Let the Cats Out?, on August 15, 2006. On Sterns thirteenth release as a leader, the award winning six-time GRAMMY nominee continues to blur the boundaries between jazz, funk, blues and rock with eleven unique originals.

This record is a return to more instrumental playing, more blowing, says Stern. In some ways its straight ahead, but filtered through my rock and blues influences. Im still interested in incorporating vocals, so I wanted Richard Bona to sing on my record. I composed the tunes thinking about which musicians would work best for each track. It seemed organic, and I think worked out well.

Who Let the Cats Out? was recorded in January 2006 and features a stunning lineup including bassists Richard Bona (who handles vocals on two tracks), Anthony Jackson, Meshell Ndegeocello, Chris Minh Doky and Victor Wooten, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, saxophonists Bob Franceschini and Bob Malach, drummers Dave Weckl and Kim Thompson, harmonica player Gregoire Maret, and keyboardist/producer Jim Beard.

Ive always wanted to work with Meshell Ndegeocello and Kim Thompson, Stern says. Meshell is a very special musician and Kim is really a phenomenon. Theyre both so musical. Of course, playing with great musicians like Roy Hargrove, Jim Beard, Dave Weckl, Gregoire Maret and all the rest of these guys is always amazing.

The album title is a double entendre, according to Stern. Leni, my wife, loves cats, he explains. Weve got four cats, and you know how cats can get. Theyre always running around and checking stuff out theyre always playing. The title fits the music, too. When we made this album there was a really playful vibe. I love when musicians have fun with the music, when they play from the heart and when they get room to do what they do best.

It isnt surprising that Stern spent time playing with Miles Davis. Like the legendary trumpeters best work, one never knows what to expect from a new Stern release. Who Let the Cats Out? offers a range of memorable melodies with plenty of dynamic playing by the guitar hero and crew. The album ranges from bluesy, powerful funk (Tumble Home, Roll with It) and lots of dynamic interplay (KT, Texas) to tightly-packed new jazz (Good Question, Leni Goes Shopping) and gentle, heartfelt ballads (Were with You, All You Need).

Songs like Language are long enough to allow the music to develop, with each musician taking a turn in the conversation, while its nearly impossible to resist tapping your feet to the beat of the title track. All the while, Stern weaves in and out of the groups sound with ample confidence, always playing within the music and maintaining his instantly recognizable voice on his instrument. The album closes with the gradually rising fury of Blue Runway.

Born on January 10, 1953, in Boston, MA, Stern got his start as a guitar player with Blood, Sweat & Tears at the age of 22. He then toured with Billy Cobham for a year, and it was at one of the legendary drummers gigs in New York City that Miles Davis first heard Stern. After moving to New York City, he was recruited by Davis to play a key role in his celebrated comeback band of 1981. From 1983 to 1984, he toured with Jaco Pastorius Word of Mouth band and in 1985 returned to Davis lineup for a second tour of duty that lasted close to a year. In the summer of 1986, Stern went out on the road with David Sanborn and later joined an electrified edition of Steps Ahead. Stern made his debut on Atlantic Records in 1986 with Upside Downside. From 1986 through 1988, he was a member of Michael Breckers quintet and later joined a reunited Brecker Brothers Band, appearing on 1992s Return of the Brecker Brothers.

Sterns acclaimed 1993 release, Standards (And Other Songs), led to him being named Best Jazz Guitarist of the Year by the readers and critics of Guitar Player magazine. He followed that up with 1994s Is What It Is and 1996s Between The Lines, both of which received GRAMMY nominations. In 1997, Stern recorded Give And Take, and won the Orville W. Gibson Award for Best Jazz Guitarist that year. Sterns next release was a six-string summit meeting with colleagues Bill Frisell and John Scofield that was appropriately titled Play. Voices (2001), his first foray into vocal music, earned Stern his third GRAMMY nomination. He released These Times for the ESC label in 2003.

Ive been very fortunate to have played with lots of great musicians like Joe Henderson, Miles, Jaco Pastorius, Mike Brecker and Dave Sanborn, just to name a few, says Stern. It seems to me what they all have in common is that theyre wide open to so many different kinds of music, and no matter what they play they put their heart and soul in it.

Regardless of Who Let the Cats Out?, Sterns Heads Up debut is another outstanding album from this innovative, highly accomplished and incredibly versatile guitarist. He is, indeed, as one writer put it, one of the true guitar greats of his generation.

MIKE STERN ADDS STING TO YELLOWJACKETS’ LIFECYCLE First Yellowjackets Recording in 15 Years to Feature a Guitarist Set For Worldwide Release On May 20, 2008

According to some basic, undeniable laws of nature, when two powerful forces collide, something explosive will occur, and a dramatic transformation is likely to take place as a result. It’s a law that applies to every dynamic in the known universe, including jazz.

It stands to reason, then, that when a formidable jazz quartet like the Yellowjackets convenes in the studio with a high-energy guitar virtuoso like Mike Stern, the resulting reaction will be a singular event – one that’s likely to create something entirely new on the jazz landscape.

This phenomenon is captured on Lifecycle (HUCD 3141), the new collaborative recording by the Jackets and Stern set for worldwide release on Heads Up International a division of Concord Music Group on May 20, 2008. The first Yellowjackets recording in 15 years to feature a guitar player, Lifecycle illustrates the kind of energy and creative brilliance that results when five talented players pool their individual talents as songwriters and musicians and merge into an entity that’s far greater than the sum of its parts. Lifecycle was nominated for a GRAMMY® Award in the category of Best Contemporary Jazz Album and “Claire’s Closet,” track from Lifecycle, was also nominated for a GRAMMY® for Best Instrumental Composition.

After simmering for years, the idea for the project reached critical mass when Stern and the Jackets performed together at the Montreal Jazz Festival in the summer of 2007. “We’ve all been a fan of Mike’s for a long time,” says Yellowjackets keyboardist and charter member Russell Ferrante. “Our goal was to make a recording that sounded like Mike had been in the band forever, and I think we accomplished that. To my ears, it feels cohesive – like five musicians with a genuine rapport.”

From the Montreal dates in the heat of the summer to the studio sessions in rural New York State in January 2008, Stern felt the same sense of rapport. “The Yellowjackets are a great band,” he says. “I think we have a lot in common musically, and our playing together felt very natural right away. They’re the ideal collaborative team. It’s so easy to play with them because they play so well together.”

Lifecycle is, in some respects, two albums in one. Seven of the ten tracks are quintet pieces featuring Stern and the Jackets, while the remaining three are quartet pieces that showcase the individual and collective talents of the current Yellowjackets lineup: Ferrante, saxophonist Bob Mintzer, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Marcus Baylor.

Whatever the combinations and permutations, it’s all good. Mintzer contributes three tracks: the energetic opener, “Falken’s Maze,” the rhythmically complex “Yahoo,” and the easygoing “I Wonder.”

Stern’s soloing on all three of these tracks is tastefully executed and in perfect sync with Mintzer’s ambitious sensibilities. “Rhythmically, these songs were a challenge for me,” says Stern, “but I’m always up for a challenge. I don’t usually play in odd time signatures, but the rest of the guys made even the challenging situations comfortable, and I was able to lay down some good solos for Bob’s compositions.”

“Mike is such a great musician,” says Mintzer. “I wrote these songs as a way to showcase what he can do, and once he got a hold of them, he took them to a whole new place. There’s a certain flexibility that you need to have when you write for a band like this. You have to be ready for things to take a different direction. That’s definitely what has happened here, and it’s fantastic.”

More than just a highly skilled and versatile soloist, though, Stern contributes two songs to the mix – the syncopated and playful “Double Nickel,” followed immediately by the more somber “Dreams Go.”

Ferrante contributes the introspective “Measure of a Man” and the gently melodic “Claire’s Closet,” both written for the quartet without guitar. “I think the quartet pieces offer a contrast to the more high-octane pieces that feature the guitar,” says Ferrante. “I was especially happy with ‘Claire’s Closet.’ Bob’s clarinet adds a very evocative quality to that song.”

Haslip’s contributions include the vaguely funky “Country Living,” along with “Lazaro,” an atmospheric piece that he co-wrote with Mintzer. “I had actually started writing ‘Lazaro’ for a solo record, but in the end, the piece had kind of a Jackets vibe to it,” Haslip explains. “I thought it would be interesting to finish it with Bob’s help, and he came up with some great stuff. I think that piece is a really fine collaboration.”

Holding down the diversity of songwriting, the unusual time signatures and the subtle rhythmic shadings is Baylor, the relative newcomer who marks his seventh year as the Jackets’ drummer. “As the drummer, you have to be able to colorize the tunes,” he says. ‘There are a lot of textures that go into playing with a band like this. There are a lot of subtle points in any given composition. Playing the drums in a band like this is almost like putting accents on a painting.”

But the release of Lifecycle in May is just the beginning of a picture that will continue to evolve throughout most of 2008. With the success of last year’s Montreal Jazz Festival gigs, and armed with a new album that captures that onstage magic, Stern and the Yellowjackets will hit the road together later in the year for a series of U.S. and European tour dates in support of the album.

“I can’t wait to play some of this music in concert with Mike,” says Haslip. “He’s a great artist with so much enthusiasm, and we’re honored to have had the chance to make a record like this with him. For a good part of this year, the Yellowjackets will be a quintet, and we’re very much looking forward to every minute of that experience.”