Mike Stern has been performing with the best musician on this planet since the early 70s. Before one is critical of him take a moment and see who he has been playing with for 40 + years. The only people he needs to impress are the ones who hire him and he has impressed the best!
Mike's tone is distinctive (and maybe a compromise). It enables him to segue from his love for Roy Buchanan/ Jimi Hendrix to the side of his playing that is more about Jim Hall/Pat Metheny. My advice, if you're willing: give the tone thing a chance, and don't allow it to get in the way of appreciating the soul, energy, emotion, inspired improv in his playing. If it is true, as some say, that an electric guitarist's tone is really in his fingers and heart - Mike's sounds like Mike.
illywhacka is why some uploaders choose to disable comments... and with good reason.. typical negative energy..hidden behind a lot of articulate phrases and words.. MS is a very heartfelt and genuine player - and that's all that matters to me!
The one thing most guitar players lack is composition skills. John scofield is a master at writing melody for example. That's why so many guitarist pale in comparison to sco.
You only have to look at the way he moves to know he just doesn't have groove or swing, not really. His phrasing is uninteresting, his melodies trite (save me from from those power ballads), he let's his fingers do the walking far too often, instead of having ideas, etc. Technically good though, which always gets the emotional adolescents going.
@LukeDallert I am not denying his technique; maybe that is what others are commenting on. And of course he is 'world class' in the sense that he is well known and has played with great musicians. But I just do not feel much musicality there. All those solos starting off with the plinky-plonky clean sound, then half way through, stomp on the distortion pedal...the facile arpeggios...the wailing vibrato...oof.. sorry but I find it tasteless, and not in a good way...like in a Barry Manilow way.
@illywhacka I didn't mean only his technique. Actually this solo isn't one his best. But there are other gigs where he plays much better. Besides he is a bit younger here. If you don't like his tone ...yeah... that's your taste. I feel very good when he plays and I like his tone.
@LukeDallert It is not that I do not like this tone as such, but that I do not like (for example) the way he switches from clean to very distorted halfway through every solo. For me, that is like 'yeah OK - now i am going to turn up to 11 dude'. This is not what music is about for me. To me, he seems like a heavy metal player who went to Berklee and so learned how to play over changes.
@illywhacka Mike Stern created an identifiable style. He has soul,technique,interesting chromaticism. Michael Brecker,Jaco Pastorius,Miles Davis,Pat Martino,ect.all chose to play with him. You are not just voicing your opinion,you are making a judgement on his musicality. You don't know what the hell you are talking about.
@LukeDallert If you think Miles is incapable of error, I doubt you are familiar with all of his mid-seventies output. Miles was a genius, but he was also capable of pretension and the desire to be 'trendy' in the worst way in later years.
@illywhacka Listen to the album "These Times" check out the groove on those songs, particularly last one down and chatter, but that whole album has a very nice feel & groove
@PatRobls In fact, this is an awful album - full of faux African elements (and decades after that was fashionable), cliched, boring and meaningless heads, and then terrible, senseless, tasteless, and stylistically inappropriate burbling from MS. I hope he made some money off it, at least.
Stern's tempo and tone are fine--way different from when he first played it w/ miles'. I prefer miles' version, but i also prefer slow build with the tonal and tempo changes leading to a climax rather than a brilliant solo moving around a theme. Miles did the former, Stern does the latter. Both are good, but personally, i find the solos distracting.
@Asymmatrix I think the original is like a really good shot--mildness that leads to an explosion of energy and then euphoric ideas. I think Miles' version has an emotional narrative that Stern lacks, but it's not his composition, so that makes sense.
reputo mike stern un grande chitarrista.mi piace e lo ascolto con piacere ma mi dispiace dirlo...in confronto a miles risulta freddo facendo i suoi brani..per me miles è unico
i would say that i don't like very much mike stern makin' this Miles song because for me the guitar in this track isn't good to make trumphet phrase...mike is a very very good guitarist but miles is the only one
0:00 girl with glasses looks strange 0_o
julukrolu123 2 months ago
Mike Stern has been performing with the best musician on this planet since the early 70s. Before one is critical of him take a moment and see who he has been playing with for 40 + years. The only people he needs to impress are the ones who hire him and he has impressed the best!
webstercat 2 months ago
Always the same minor lick ;)
kjnwfchrcnhr 3 months ago
mortal, demasiado, por eso es de mis guitarristas preferidos
jonatronodeth 4 months ago
fuck his tone is lame. he over does the chorus.
anablaman 1 year ago
@anablaman I dont' think so, I like his tone.... maybe that's a question of taste...
LukeDallert 1 year ago 12
@anablaman he's great and I love fusion and jazz-funk but I agree with you.. I really hate that constant chorus..
machinegunlicks 8 months ago
@anablaman You're not a real fan if you don't dig the tone.
ConCarneBlues 7 months ago 4
@ConCarneBlues yeah man, that's right!
LukeDallert 7 months ago
@ConCarneBlues
being a fan of something is gay
HammondB200 5 months ago
@anablaman
Mike's tone is distinctive (and maybe a compromise). It enables him to segue from his love for Roy Buchanan/ Jimi Hendrix to the side of his playing that is more about Jim Hall/Pat Metheny. My advice, if you're willing: give the tone thing a chance, and don't allow it to get in the way of appreciating the soul, energy, emotion, inspired improv in his playing. If it is true, as some say, that an electric guitarist's tone is really in his fingers and heart - Mike's sounds like Mike.
RootsinBrooklyn 7 months ago
illywhacka is why some uploaders choose to disable comments... and with good reason.. typical negative energy..hidden behind a lot of articulate phrases and words.. MS is a very heartfelt and genuine player - and that's all that matters to me!
steffenbrix 1 year ago
I´m cumming...
germansolares 1 year ago
The one thing most guitar players lack is composition skills. John scofield is a master at writing melody for example. That's why so many guitarist pale in comparison to sco.
fabbola 1 year ago
@fabbola Mike Stern sounds great here. I think John Scofield would agree with me.
KABRIS1 1 year ago
he is not singing so its boring
mantatnam 1 year ago
You only have to look at the way he moves to know he just doesn't have groove or swing, not really. His phrasing is uninteresting, his melodies trite (save me from from those power ballads), he let's his fingers do the walking far too often, instead of having ideas, etc. Technically good though, which always gets the emotional adolescents going.
illywhacka 1 year ago
@illywhacka
I think other great guitarplayers wouldn't like him if it's true what you say.
LukeDallert 1 year ago
@LukeDallert Do you think they are going to go around dissing their colleagues?
illywhacka 1 year ago
@illywhacka No, but Stern is a worldclassplayer and the idol of other guitarists. And he is highly considered by other worldclassplayers.
LukeDallert 1 year ago
@LukeDallert I am not denying his technique; maybe that is what others are commenting on. And of course he is 'world class' in the sense that he is well known and has played with great musicians. But I just do not feel much musicality there. All those solos starting off with the plinky-plonky clean sound, then half way through, stomp on the distortion pedal...the facile arpeggios...the wailing vibrato...oof.. sorry but I find it tasteless, and not in a good way...like in a Barry Manilow way.
illywhacka 1 year ago
@illywhacka I didn't mean only his technique. Actually this solo isn't one his best. But there are other gigs where he plays much better. Besides he is a bit younger here. If you don't like his tone ...yeah... that's your taste. I feel very good when he plays and I like his tone.
LukeDallert 1 year ago
@LukeDallert It is not that I do not like this tone as such, but that I do not like (for example) the way he switches from clean to very distorted halfway through every solo. For me, that is like 'yeah OK - now i am going to turn up to 11 dude'. This is not what music is about for me. To me, he seems like a heavy metal player who went to Berklee and so learned how to play over changes.
illywhacka 1 year ago
@illywhacka Mike Stern created an identifiable style. He has soul,technique,interesting chromaticism. Michael Brecker,Jaco Pastorius,Miles Davis,Pat Martino,ect.all chose to play with him. You are not just voicing your opinion,you are making a judgement on his musicality. You don't know what the hell you are talking about.
KABRIS1 1 year ago 2
@KABRIS1
I agree with you. You're so right!! Miles Davis wouldn't have chosen him if he hasn't much musicality!
LukeDallert 1 year ago
@LukeDallert If you think Miles is incapable of error, I doubt you are familiar with all of his mid-seventies output. Miles was a genius, but he was also capable of pretension and the desire to be 'trendy' in the worst way in later years.
illywhacka 1 year ago
@illywhacka Listen to the album "These Times" check out the groove on those songs, particularly last one down and chatter, but that whole album has a very nice feel & groove
PatRobls 1 year ago
@PatRobls Well those might be what you call grooves...I can just see him twitching in that no-back-beat double-time kind of jig he does...
illywhacka 1 year ago
@PatRobls In fact, this is an awful album - full of faux African elements (and decades after that was fashionable), cliched, boring and meaningless heads, and then terrible, senseless, tasteless, and stylistically inappropriate burbling from MS. I hope he made some money off it, at least.
illywhacka 1 year ago
@illywhacka
I couldn't disagree more with everything you wrote...
steffenbrix 10 months ago
1:24 did he boost with SD1 BOSS pedal? nice boosting.
inseobkim4067 2 years ago
@inseobkim4067
BOSS ds-1
steffenbrix 10 months ago
Jazz guys always speed it up live. Plus, the original tempo is like a bad heroin dose lol.
Asymmatrix 2 years ago 4
I'm glad that you like it!
LukeDallert 2 years ago
Stern's tempo and tone are fine--way different from when he first played it w/ miles'. I prefer miles' version, but i also prefer slow build with the tonal and tempo changes leading to a climax rather than a brilliant solo moving around a theme. Miles did the former, Stern does the latter. Both are good, but personally, i find the solos distracting.
LeonSpinx1 3 weeks ago
@Asymmatrix I think the original is like a really good shot--mildness that leads to an explosion of energy and then euphoric ideas. I think Miles' version has an emotional narrative that Stern lacks, but it's not his composition, so that makes sense.
LeonSpinx1 3 weeks ago
holy fuck they've just murdered Jean Pierre!
Maybe I've just listened to We Want Miles to many times - that and the Davis and Friends Paris 91 version - but this is difficult to bear.
digimaton 2 years ago
reputo mike stern un grande chitarrista.mi piace e lo ascolto con piacere ma mi dispiace dirlo...in confronto a miles risulta freddo facendo i suoi brani..per me miles è unico
hardasarocker 2 years ago
I don't understand every word but I know that your comment is good! Thanks man!
LukeDallert 2 years ago
i would say that i don't like very much mike stern makin' this Miles song because for me the guitar in this track isn't good to make trumphet phrase...mike is a very very good guitarist but miles is the only one
hardasarocker 2 years ago
Okay ..that's your opinion but definitly not mine. I like the Stern version very much. But I accept your opinion :)
LukeDallert 2 years ago