-
I saw two greats play last night, or to be more exact, I saw eight greats play last night, when Scofield's Uber Jam band, and Mike Stern's group with Randy Brecker, played the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival.
Sco did what Sco does - funk grooves, weird mumbling lines spiced with dissonance, lots of mouth contortions, some effects from his pedalboard, etc. The highlight for me was Denis Chambers on drums. I could have listen to him do an hour-long drum solo, and I don't say that very often. Never, in fact. The bass player played simple groove-based lines, and I really dug the interaction with Chambers. I didn't really click with the other guitar player, whose name I have sadly forgotten. He is a great groove player, a perfect foil for Sco, but much of it was effect and sample laden, with almost as much time spent fiddling with his laptop computer. Overall, the band were good in parts, but after a while one groove after another sounded too familiar, and I got a little bored. Sco was playing a Tele.
Then Mike Stern's band came on. After an embarrassing and disappointing fifteen minutes of the sound guy trying to get Brecker's equipment to work, the band exploded into a set that just blew Sco's set away. I'd never seen Stern play before, live that is, and was myself blown away. What an incredible player! Great jazz rock guitar, backed by a brilliant bassist and drummer, and, of course, the great Brecker on trumpet. Their set was over far too soon, and they surprised many of us by playing Hendrix's Red House as an encore, with Stern displaying good blues vocal talents. But what a set! Great, great modern jazz, which brought the house down. The audience was around the 2,000 mark, so who says jazz is dead?
-
07-15-2017 03:46 AM
-
Rob - many thanks for the review. I would have loved to be there, but a business trip to Cambridge yesterday made the logistics impossible. I'm doubly jealous as Chambers is probably my favourite drummer. Was Sco's groovemeister Avi Bortnick? I've never seen Mike Stern live and your post makes me realise that I have missed something. Ah well, back to YouTube!
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
-
Lucky you.
-
Newsense - yes, that's him, Avi Bortnick. Good player and digital dabbler, just not my thing. And, yes, do try to catch Mike Stern live. Amazing.
-
I've enjoyed Sco on several occasions especially a Trio Beyond Concert with Larry Goldings and Jack DeJohnette some 10-12 years ago. But saw the Über Jam band last year and it left me slightly bored as well. I think it just lacked in intensity. Still crowd was +1000 and they all looked happy, so ...?
-
I would have liked to hear him in that trio setting, as I do think he is a great player. He seemed to be imitating himself last night, which is a weird thing to say, and probably unkind, but it gives some indication of how I felt at the time.
-
I admire and respect them both for the way they 'reach'. Met Mike Stern about twenty years ago. Very modest.
-
I recently watched a Video with Mike Stern with Eric Johnson on a live performance and Stern was
walking around while Playing,(really really well) but had a loose, fun aspect - this was a Jazz Tune but Stern did NOT have that 'careful' needed when he Plays..Stern was in 'Bebop Mode' or whatever not doing his Rock thing- but he's still got that Attitude-
even looks like he could be Mick Jagger's younger brother- ha
Stern is a real ' Force ' Onstage- looks like he would be Musically Comfortable with the Stones or Steely Dan or any Jazz type Performer ..I admire that.Last edited by Robertkoa; 07-15-2017 at 09:22 AM.
-
Yes, he sure has stage presence, often walking over to the soloist, egging them on. Great leader. He even sang a mock-Dylan song, complete with Dylan accent, when the sound guy was working on Brecker's equipment. Very funny.
-
I agree with you Dennis Chambers is a drummer I could listen to forever. I haven't heard Sco live in a long time but always a good show. Mike Stern I've never seen in person only his DVD's and lots of YouTubes. funny I've seen his wife Leni Stern in person and that was a interesting show with Jimmy Haslip and I think Russ Ferrante in her band. I've read Leni sat in on a show with Mike and Sco on this tour.
Sheryl Bailey in her recent video to students was talking about key to playing fast is being relaxed and Mike Stern was her example. She said watching Stern play his whole upper body is so relaxed and lower body just flows with the music.
Stern plays L.A. regularly maybe this tour will come here, I hope.
-
years ago had the chance to see Miles Davis in a small venue in los angeles..it was my first look at scofield..he was on fire..I have heard Stern with Miles ..
stern played with lee ritenour on a tour of japan .. there are some youTubes of them..
Have to remember Miles chose these guys to play with him .. must be something to say.." I played with Miles Davis.."
-
Thanks Rob for the nice feedback,
I've seen them many times and they were always great.
One thing however strikes me regarding Mike Stern. He is 1000 times better on stage than on his records. Although I greatly appreciate some of his records they don't restitute the best of him. This rock-bop style is made to live on stage.
Cheers.
-
That begs the question, Fred, does he have any live albums worth checking out?
-
Such an important point.
Originally Posted by Fred Archtop
It resonates; I used to believe that the best jazz records were live, and I'd probably find that I still believe that if I actually stopped to think about it. (Not sure why or how, but something went wrong when I favoured CDs over vinyl.)
And, beyond any immediate listening experience, it makes ripples in culture. I admire that immensely.
-
Yeah. I've told this story before... Originally Posted by destinytot
Long ago I saw Michael Brecker's Group at University of Miami outside in this beautiful setting at night and Stern was with him then..long Concert ..Brecker had his Horns and the EWI ( electronic wind instrument )..
Brecker was absolutely unbelievable - even for Brecker..
I remember thinking ' That was the best Soloist I have ever seen/ heard on any Instrument '.
Stern was sitting down playing very seriously strictly Jazz..and I remember thinking Stern was better than his Albums ...though I never bought one...
But unless Art Tatum or Trane was there nobody could be in the same Zone as Brecker...
From their expressions ( especially Stern ) I think.
Brecker was actually mildly shocking his Band with his Playing...Classical Beautiful Stuff....Hendrix Squared ...and Sax Jr Walker thru King Curtis..Sanborn ..Parker ..Trane..Modern Polyrhythmic Stuff but Brecker would just squeel Harmonics on long notes ( Jr Walker ) sometimes.
And he did Classical sounding stuff on the EWI that was beautiful Bachlike maybe...
Stern was playing his ass off but mock pulling out his hair and laughing at the Drummer I think cause no matter how well he Played ..not in the same Universe as Brecker that night.
Brecker and Benson always sound very R&B to me ..
and I really feel Brecker a lot.
Had someone Recorded that Performance - It would be one of the all time Great Live Jazz Albums ( double Album) - even many Rockers and Metal.Guys would 'get it'.
-
Nice writeup. I saw Stern eons ago with Miles at a festival in Austria. Long story short--it rained a lot, the food was lousy, but what I remember of the playing was fantastic.
You could have dropped this thread into the Tele love thread--2 jazz greats playing Teles that are not the instruments they are associated with. Though it looks like Stern's Tele might have a Strat neck.
-
Love both and saw both very, very often.
But I have to say that Mike Stern bores me nowadays, I think I listened to him too much. Too many notes, often the same licks...
Sco on the other hand stays fresh, I don't get tired of his lines, loved and love "Country for Old Men" and now "Hudson" - he is a phenomena.
All in IMHO of course...
-
It doesn't get much better than Dennis Chambers...but if I ever won the lottery and could afford to hire a drummer of my choosing, it would definitely be Jack DeJonette. He is the best guy out there. In fact, if I won the lottery I'd beg for Jack D. and Eddie Gomez to help me to sound good--for a change. Those two could make a bowl of oatmeal testify, ISTG.
Scofield is a great player, but he can backslide and rely on squeaks and squawks (which many in the audience appear to like, just fine) and apparently phone in the gig. I'm sure that Stern has done this from time to time, too. (Who hasn't?)
I have seen Sco play with Goldings and with Medeski and really come alive, however. I guess it depends on the night, the personnel, etc.
Mike Stern is a CMF...to combine Chet Atkins and Miles Davis designations. Stern can play his arse off, and often does. Glad you got to see him really kick up a fuss.
Reply With Quote
dearmond 1100 reissue vs original which one is...
Today, 03:30 PM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos