a r t i s t : Mike Stern
t i t l e : Who Let The Cats Out?
d a t e : 2006
l a b e l : Heads Up
g e n r e : Jazz / Fusion
r l s. d a t e : Jan/2007
t r a c k s : 11
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 109,9 MB
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Mike Stern, one of the most recognized and celebrated
guitarists of his generation, releases his Heads Up
International worldwide debut album, Who Let the Cats Out?
(HUCD 3115), on August 15, 2006. On Stern's thirteenth release
as a leader, the award winning three-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 it's straight ahead, but
filtered through my rock and blues influences. I'm 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.
"I've always wanted to work with Meshell Ndegeocello and Kim
Thompson," Stern says. "Meshell is a very special musician and
Kim is really a phenomenon. They're 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. "We've got four
cats, and you know how cats can get. They're always running
around and checking stuff out - they're 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 isn't surprising that Stern spent time playing with Miles
Davis. Like the legendary trumpeter's 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 ("We're 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 it's nearly impossible to resist tapping your feet to
the beat of the title track. All the while, Stern weaves in
and out of the group's 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 drummer's 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 Brecker's quintet and later joined a reunited Brecker
Brothers Band, appearing on 1992's Return of the Brecker
Brothers.
Stern's 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 1994's Is What It Is and 1996's 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. Stern's 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.
"I've 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 they're 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?, Stern's 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."
http://headsup.com/albums/3115.asp
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01-Tumble Home [08:15]
02-KT [07:58]
03-Good Question [04:18]
04-Language [07:04]
05-We're With You [05:49]
06-Leni Goes Shopping [04:39]
07-Roll With It [05:03]
08-Texas [07:05]
09-Who Let The Cats Out? [07:45]
10-All You Need [06:57]
11-Blue Runway [08:37]