Mike Stern is a miraculous guitarist.
That’s not just high praise about his prowess on the instrument — although he’s certainly worthy of plenty of that — but rather an assessment of what’s he’s had to overcome in order to remain in the jazz game.
It’s miraculous that he’s still playing today. And, as fans witnessed on Monday during the first of two consecutive nights at Yoshi’s in Oakland, it’s even more miraculous that he’s able to do so at such an incredibly high level.
After all, there very well could have been a different end to this particular storyline, which began after Stern fell and broke both of his arms outside of his apartment in Manhattan back in 2016. Besides fracturing both of his humerus bones, he had sustained severe nerve damage in his right hand (the one he uses to strum his guitar) and had to go through multiple surgeries.
He’s still greatly hampered by the injury, which limits the use of his right hand. He has major difficulties even holding a guitar pick in his hand, so, instead, he glues it in place so he can strum the strings.
“It’s a real challenge,” Stern confided to me after Monday’s concert.
Despite the difficulties, the 71-year-old Boston native still managed to put on an incredibly enjoyable 90-minute set — and come across like the first-tier guitar hero that he is.
Out on the road with his latest Mike Stern Band ensemble — featuring drummer Dennis Chambers, saxophonist Bob Franceschini, bassist Janek Gwizdala and vocalist-guitarist Leni Stern, his wife — the guitarist used the occasion to highlight the album “Echoes and Other Songs.”
Stern would perform three numbers from that solid new release during the eight-song set. Yet, before he’d get around to doing so, he’d first turn the spotlight over to the other Stern on the stage — Leni — who led the band in the gorgeous opening number “Like a Thief.” The native of Germany, who formed her own band with drummer Paul Motian on drums and guitarist Bill Frisell back in the ’80s, sounded terrific as she sang and played the West African string instrument known as the ngoni. (It was only time that she sang or played the ngoni during the set.)
Switching over to electric guitar, Leni Stern then combined forces with her husband to kick off the first new album offering of the night — “Connections” — which really got the house rocking.
The tune included the “most Mike Stern moment” of the show, as the always eager, friendly and oh-so humble bandleader delivered an absolutely volcanic solo — the kind that leaves listeners wondering if they’d ever heard the guitar played in such amazing fashion before — and he then just leaned over to casually chat with some fans in the front rows.
Of course, I don’t know what he was saying to those fans, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something along the lines of, “Did that sound OK?” Because that’s exactly what he was asking fans, repeatedly, during a hug-filled impromptu meet-and-greet with audience members after the show. That’s Mike Stern for you — big on smiles and talent, low on ego and attitude.
The band followed up with the new album’s namesake tune — “Echoes” — which started off slowly and then continued to escalate in power and volume as the song progressed, eventually hitting its crescendo through spotlights on Franceschini’s dynamic tenor work and Dennis Chambers’ mind-blowing drumming.
The quintet followed up with “Wishing Well,” a mesmerizing piece of softly drifting new age-y jazz, with a nice bit of vocalise from Stern, hailing from one of guitarist’s best albums, 2001’s “Voices.” Although he doesn’t highlight it often, Stern actually has a pretty nice voice — and would show it off more fully during the encore portion of the show.
But there was still more good stuff to be enjoyed in the main set, as the mighty Chambers — who has played with everyone from George Duke and Parliament-Funkadelic to Carlos Santana and Steely Dan — set a steady micro-beat that served as a platform for a free-styling jam that spotlighted both Sterns as well as Franceschini and offered up some trippy looped-bass madness from the ever-joyous Gwizdala (who was playing just his second gig with the band).
The main set concluded with the beautiful new album cut “Gospel Song,” which again nicely spotlighted Leni Stern and Franceschini, and a rip-roaring run through “Chatter” (from 2001’s terrific “These Times”).
Oh, but Stern wasn’t quite finished yet. After thanking the crowd, and introducing the band, Stern decided it was time to tackle both the words and guitar parts of the Jimi Hendrix 12-bar blues original “Red House” as an encore.
It was a fun ending to an all-around great evening of music, led by a man who has triumphed over adversity and physical challenges and continues to make music at such an incredibly high level.
Setlist:
1. “Like a Thief”
2. “Connections”
3. “Echoes”
4. “Wishing Well”
5. Jam (untitled)
6. “Gospel Song”
7. “Chatter”
Encore:
8. “Red House”
