05 NOVEMBER, CULTURAL CENTER “BORIS HRISTOV”, 20:00

One of the most esteemed electric guitarists of his generation, Mike Stern has distinguished himself over a four-decade career that has encompassed musical partnerships with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Billy Cobham, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, the Brecker Brothers and Joe Henderson, as well as 16

recordings as a leader (six of which were nominated for Grammy Awards). An electrifying soloist who combines rock-fusion firepower with sophisticated jazz harmonies and his inherently bluesy string bending prowess, Stern channels the spirits of his own personal guitar heroes Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall and Albert King.

Born in Boston on January 10, 1953, Stern studied at the Berklee College of Music. He got his first big break with Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1976 at age 23 and was subsequently recruited by drummer Billy Cobham for a stint in his fusion band Glass Menagerie. Stern was part of the jazz legend Miles Davis’ celebrated comeback band (with bassist Marcus Miller, drummer Al Foster, percussionist Mino Cinelu and saxophonist Bill Evans).

Working with a plethora of famous musicians among whom saxophonists David Sanborn and Bob Berg, drummer Peter Erskine, bassist Jeff Andrews and percussionist Don Alias, Stern released several acclaimed albums and in 1993 he was named “Best Jazz Guitarist of the Year” by the readers and critics of Guitar Player magazine. He scored two Grammy nominations for his next two releases, “Is What It Is” (1994) and “Between The Lines” (1996). In 1997, Stern recorded “Give And Take” with bassist John Patitucci, drummer Jack DeJohnette, percussionist Don Alias and special guests Michael Brecker and David Sanborn.

Then in 2001, Stern made his first foray into vocal music on the Grammy-nominated “Voices”, which featured key contributions from singers Richard Bona, Arto Tuncboyaciyan and Elisabeth Kontomanou. After releasing “These Times” (2004), an eclectic set with guest appearances by bassist Richard Bona, saxophonist Kenny Garrett and banjoist Bela Fleck, in 2006 Stern got his next Grammy nomination for “Who Let the Cats Out”?. Included on the guest roster in this album are bassist-singer Richard Bona, bassists 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 virtuoso Gregoire Maret and keyboardist/producer Jim Beard.

At the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal in June 2007, Stern was honored with the Miles Davis Award, which was created to recognize internationally acclaimed jazz artists whose work has contributed significantly to the renewal of the genre.

In August 2009, Stern released his ambitious, Grammy-nominated “Big Neighborhood”, which featured a long list of talented guests, including guitarists Steve Vai and Eric Johnson, vocalists Esperanza Spalding and Richard Bona, jamband godfathers Medeski Martin & Wood, drummers Dave Weckl, Terri Lyne Carrington, Cindy Blackman Santana and Lionel Cordew, bassists Chris Minh Doky and Lincoln Goines, saxophonists Bob Franceschini and Bob Malach, trumpeter Randy Brecker and keyboardist/producer Jim Beard.

In 2012 Stern was presented with Guitar Player magazine’s “Certified Legend” Award.

On his latest recording, “Eclectic”, Stern collaborates with Eric Johnson. Unlike his previous recording, “All Over the Place”, which featured a sprawling cast of characters, “Eclectic” was recorded in three days at Johnson’s studio in Austin with a core group of the two celebrated guitarists, bassist Chris Maresh and drummer Anton Fig.