Mike Stern is one of those players who transcends his instrument (guitar in his case) to become a musician’s musician. From Blood, Sweat, and Tears to Miles Davis, from Billy Cobham to a long and successful solo career, Stern has been hailed as a stellar jazz guitarist. Stern performed in a workshop with bassist Nathan East at Sweetwater’s GearFest, and I had a chance to sit down with him for an interview, excerpted here. To see the complete interview, click here.
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You’ve always used a stereo rig, with stereo chorus between two amps. What drew you to that?Because it sounds more like a horn to me — more of a singing kind of sound. When I hear a horn or a vocalist, there’s air in the music naturally. When you hear something coming out of the bell of a horn, it gets ambience naturally. I try to get that with the guitar. I think, whatever works for you with sound, as long as you can get the ultimate thing with music: to play your heart out. To play from the heart. Whatever helps you do that, inspires you to do that soundwise — and then who you play with, the kind of music you play — it’s all about that as the goal. |
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You’ve worked with many guest artists on your last few albums, including Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, and others.That’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always dug Steve and Eric. I actually talked to Eric about doing something years ago, and it finally happened where I could do records with different people I don’t normally play with. It was really great to get those cats on the records. I figured it would work, and I had some tunes that I thought were right for them to play, although those guys can play anything. And then with Eric, we did a record together, called Eclectic, which is a good title for the way we both feel about music. |
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I saw you play with Eric, and it was interesting how, even though you’re stylistically very different, somehow you made it work.We have a lot of common ground, and I like the fact that there’s totally different styles, very easy to tell apart. That worked beautifully. |
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Do you find your playing changes when you work with someone who comes from a different place from you?I think you learn from each other, but you play the way you play. You try to make little adaptations and also play the tune. Play whatever the tune is as the kind of palette, and then you try to make some music within that, and do your thing. |
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How do you develop your ear to know when to allow space for other musicians and when to push them?It’s kind of an instinctive call I make. Not every gig is the same. Sometimes somebody doesn’t feel like playing as much, so you jump in and say, “Well, then I’ll play.” I always want to go on the road with different players that will inspire me. |