Backstage Magazine - Issue #62, January, 2000

Balance. It is easy to talk about it. To have it, is a hard challenge, at least in some aspects, as in the question technique versus musicality. This is one of the lessons that the guitarist Mike Stern gives us in this exclusive interview to the backstage magazine. The interview took place during his last Brazilian tour.

Talk about your last CD, Play?

This was a special work for me. It was my ninth record launched by Atlantic Records, what made me very happy, for sure. There are great friends of mine on the record, that are also wonderful musicians, and there are great guitarists. It is the first time, that in one of my CDs, there are other guitarists playing.

One of them is John Scofield. This was the first time you recorded together, wasn't it?

No, we have already recorded together with Miles Davis, on the record Star People. Bill Frisell and I used to play all the time in Boston. I met my wife thanks to Bill, we are really great friends. I've known Sco and Frisell for ages. We played for distinct groups and, sometimes, together too, but only for fun. It was fun for me, for I don't see them very much, either I'm traveling or they are touring... in fact, it was very fun to meet them. Besides it was very comfortable for me. I only rehearsed with john Scofield once and another time with Bill Frisell. Then, I recorded for about one day and a half with Bill and another day with John. He plays on three tracks and Bill on four and the rhythmic section was composed of Ben Perowsky on the drums who I consider to be a great music player and has played in one of my CD's and Lincoln Goines is the bass guitar. I would also like to play something with the band that accompanies me on my tours. So, I recorded three tracks with Bob Malach, on the sax. He was not the same musician that played with me here at the Mistura Fina. In fact, it's wonderful to play with musicians whose first name is Bob, Berg and others (laughs...), and Malach played three tracks and they also got along very well, because we have played some of these songs in a series of concerts. I believe it was really good to have guitarists playing on the CD. It's obvious that I'm playing in all the tracks and therefore there is a lot of guitar sounds in the songs. But, what I mean is that sometimes I want more guitar here and less guitar there... Obviously I love the way Bill Frisell and Scofield play. They are wonderful musicians but the most important of all is the song itself. It comes first then the guitars. So, recording this CD was, undoubtedly, very good.

All tracks were recorded live, that is, with everybody playing in the studio?

Yes, everything very live in the studio. However we played a little bit of keyboards and things like that. The person in charge of the keyboards was Jim Beard, that is an excellent keyboard player. He also produced this record and other two more pieces of work of mine: Between the Lines and the previous one, Give and Take.

How do you plan your songs arranges?

Well I always try to make them as simple as possible, because the simpler I prepare them, more freedom I give the musician. I always get great musicians to play with me and I want them to play, because they are really good. I don't make it difficult so that the musician will think: Oh, there is so much music here that I can barely be free. I really want them to be free, so I make everything simple. However, I want something interesting. I don't want something so simple that can become just a jam session. There are arranges, ideas... therefore, I try to get something between a composition with feelings, its own feature. Its very important to write for me and the spaces where the musicians can breathe, let loose.

This must be very difficult, once you have a great number of good quality musician at your hand, mustnt it?

It's true but I want them play. In reality, everything is very good to me... and it's always a challenge. It's very comfortable to be in the position to play with all those people. See, its very hard working. To be a jazz musician, nowadays, you have to work hard. You need a lot of work to maintain a band, you have to make calls to set rehearsals. It's obvious that the manager helps you doing this but, in my case, I coordinate a great deal of my work. Lots of things... which musicians you're going to choose, if these musicians are available to play with you, to keep two drummers with you, for one can play one day but can't on the other day, so you need to have another one... That is, very hard working.

You have mentioned before that first you think about the music itself, and then the guitar. As an artist until where the focus on the technique of an instrument, like the guitar, for instance, can help or damage a musician when this one wants to express him/herself?

I believe that it's basically like a language. The more vocabulary you have, the more prepared you are to clearly express what's going on in your heart. To express your ideas firmly, what's in your heart, principally. I really believe that music is like a language. But it's the language of the heart, above all. Of course there are a lot of technical points involved in the process, much math, that is also relevant. But it's necessary to remember that the essential part of the music is the emotional one. Still comparing music with language, I believe that the more words you learn, the safer you are to express yourself. However, you have many words, choices, tools and you don't know how to control yourself, you don't say something that would be easier to say in a more efficient and simpler way.

This fact makes me remember a part of the book Poética Musical (Jorge Zahar Editora), from Igor Stravinsky, where he says that he'd rather work with a certain number of possibilities not to get lost in the middle of a composition.

Of course, that is it. If you have a great number of possibilities, there is a great tendency to get lost. But it's important to find your balance point. Because, at the same time, you may want a certain number of words to express yourself. Sometimes, as to the technique, people get stuck in the physical aspect and end up losing their musical sensitivity. It's, in fact, a never ending challenge, I won't use the word fight, but challenge to try to find this balance. Some nights are better than others, in some nights you find the balance but in some others you can say wow, why did I do this or that, or both..., or even I shouldn't get up of bed today!!!. Anyway, I think that we should look for an ideal parameter and keep giving the best of us.

Being internationally famed artist, and therefore traveling everywhere in the world, how does this meeting with different cultures affect your work, your compositions? If it affects...

It certainly affects. Brazil, for example, has a magical atmosphere in various aspects. See, I know that when you live in a country, sometimes you don't see this magic. But here, there are a series of special qualities. The people are very good and its a very musical country, you can see it through the language. Certainly, I perceive the good part of the place. But I'm not naive about the world I live in. I live in New York and I know how things work. New York is a wonderful place but there are a batch of problems, a batch of traffic... However, as I was saying, there are wonderful places and it's very good to know them. I feel the influences in a very subtle way other than a strong impact. As to different places, it doesn't change my view of the world. But it happens to anyone. Sometimes you just stay at home, just know your country and when you leave it, something changes. But speaking when it comes to music, it also changes my sensitivity. Sometimes I write a song while I'm at that place. Yesterday, for example, I recorded some songs in two different pieces of work form Brazilian musicians that invited me, and I heard the songs, found them beautiful, and during the recording, I stopped for some minutes and wrote some ideas for myself, to be later used, who knows.

Mike Stern and Band / Mistura Fina

It was a pleasant night in November. Even though the previous sentence doesn't have anything to do with the Mistura Fina international attraction, it serves to fill lines. Its difficult to write about a show that is previously known to be good. Mike Stern went up the stage at 20h45 with his band (Dennis Chambers, drums; Lincoln Goines, bass guitar; and Francis Skinny, tenor sax) and together served the public a fine dish of feelings seasoned with technique. The presentation was based on the last CD, Play (see critics) where the guitarist plays with very special guests. Even without the guests, Stern filled the empty spaces and proved to be more than a virtuoso, he is a composer. The songs showed rhythm and style variations, all of them well performed, this way, creating different atmospheres even inside the same piece. The improvisations were alternated with other parts pre-composed, showing the composers worry. After five songs, the people seemed not to be satisfied and asked for more. In this case, a request is an order. At last, everybody seemed to be satisfied, from the avid youngsters because of the virtuoso, to those who only wanted a very pleasant night. (LM)

As to your Internet site, was it a project of your own or did you have someone do it?

It was made for me. Look, I am the worst guy of all to work with a computer. I have to do this but I keep putting off... I'll have too much work. Is it difficult to learn?

Well, sometimes, when we fight more than use the computer but, it is simple in general. You sit in front of the screen and with a little time, learn to work with it.

Anyway, I'll have to do it. So, a guy from Netherlands made my site. He had worked doing it for five years until I knew about the homepage. Someone told me, have you already seen the page this guy made for you in the Internet? So I got in touch with him and until today he works on the page, now with the tour dates and other things.

Do you believe that these things, like being in the Internet, is good for the musicians nowadays? Or not, once you've admitted not knowing anything about computers?

I consider it important nowadays. Really important. It's not necessary to have a homepage or something like that. But computers and Internet, specially, are great communication vehicles. Its very interesting because they help us to give another appearance to our work in many ways. A batch of people can appreciate our work instantaneously. At the end, it's very positive, at least for me. Of course a batch of information from any origin can create a negative aspect. In all of history eras, there is a positive and a negative side. In the Industrial Era there were a batch of discoveries, as the car, but at the same time a batch of these discoveries caused and are still causing a batch of problems. In the Atomic Era there was the atomic energy and a series of other discoveries that created a lot of possibilities to mankind, however, the negative aspect was the Bomb. Now, its the Information Era. Everything seems to be wonderful, nothing can be bad for the people but its not like that in reality, people are losing their right for privacy, There are illegal copies of your work, and the artist is not paid for that, and a series of other problems.

Play / Mike Stern (Atlantic Records)

The most appealing feature in photography is the fact that the moment is captured as it really happens. Its like a clipping of reality. With Play, it's not different, it looks like a picture book from a party. Mike Stern, in his ninth work released by Atlantic/Warner Music, invited, for his party, old friends like the guitarists John Scofield and Bill Frisell, the drummer Ben Perowsky, besides his tour band, composed by Dennis Chambers, Lincoln Goines and Bob Malach (tenor sax). Each CD composition, according to Stern, was thought within each guests style of playing. The result couldn't be different: Beautiful compositions executed with mastery. There was no lack of virtuoso, energy, beautiful melodies. Specially the tracks Play, Outta Town, and All Heart. Stern and his guests celebration to music was very well recorded and certainly will be one of the most beautiful photos ever seen and heard forever.

What are your future plans, at least for the next decade?

I don't even know whats going to happen tomorrow! (laughs) To tell the truth, I don't know... I'll keep recording and playing, because this is what I love to do. I hope to keep doing this and of course, trying new things like this new CD where I played with other guitarists. I have other ideas, like maybe something with more piano or even with someone singing some songs of mine. Maybe record a live CD with my band. It's a good idea. There are a lot of options. I'll keep doing what I like, one way or the other. The Atlantic Records is very interested in keeping contact.

You were always seen as an Avant-guard musician. How do you see the style nowadays?

I think that it's going to many directions. Wynton Marsalis, for example, is bringing back a more traditional jazz, so we can appreciate this new style. I think it wonderful! His brother Branford goes to another direction, sometimes more funk. There are other jazzists out there, Michael Becker is an example. The three guitarists that played on my CD, for sure. We make jazz but we have different influences. Also because we are guitarists and when you play an instrument, it affects the way you perceive music. There are interesting things about the guitar anywhere. I was thinking about this one day in all types of music, from the classical one to rock, jazz, folk. So when you are a jazz guitarist you can even try but you avoid noticing good things in other styles, and, of course, the same holds true to other guitarists, its the same thing. Sometimes, this influence appears in the way one plays more. This happens a lot in modern jazz. Certainly we three John Scofield, Bill Frisell and I - its something very latent.