Mike Stern is a preeminent guitarist for two key reasons: One, he can play all styles very well and with equal command; and two, he plays very well with all other players.
He always shows great respect for those with whom he is playing and gives them each the time and space to develop their musical ideas.
Stern displays these two qualities in abundance on Play.
Several notable guests join Stern and his core band for this release.
Guitarists John Scofield and Bill Frisell and drummer Dennis Chambers each team with Stern on several tracks.
If you enjoy straight-ahead jazz, listen to Stern and Scofield on the title track, or mix in Bob Malach's tenor sax on "Outta Town." If you like your guitar music slightly more spacious and lyrical, try Stern and Frisell on the hypnotic "Blue Tone" or the pensive "All Heart." Finally, if you want to turn up the heat and move into some rock/funk-influenced fusion, then check out the groovy "Tipatina's," the bold rocker "Link," or the intensely funky "Big Kids." It is no surprise, based on his other work, that Chambers, in particular, gives the band a kick in the musical pants inspiring bassist Lincoln Goines to enjoy the ride.
Play is an outstanding guitar album from the highly accomplished and incredibly versatile Mike Stern.
It is highly recommended.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PlayMike Stern | Mike Stern | Play | 07:13 | 16 MB | 47 MB |
| 2 | Small WorldMike Stern | Mike Stern | Play | 05:24 | 12 MB | 31 MB |
| 3 | Outta TownMike Stern | Mike Stern | Play | 06:08 | 14 MB | 41 MB |
| 4 | Blue ToneMike Stern | Mike Stern | Play | 06:44 | 15 MB | 41 MB |
| 5 | Tipatina'sMike Stern | Mike Stern | Play | 06:33 | 15 MB | 46 MB |
| 6 | All HeartMike Stern | Mike Stern | Play | 06:22 | 14 MB | 39 MB |
| 7 | FrizzMike Stern | Mike Stern | Play | 05:39 | 12 MB | 36 MB |
| 8 | LinkMike Stern | Mike Stern | Play | 06:52 | 15 MB | 49 MB |
| 9 | Goin' UnderMike Stern | Mike Stern | Play | 04:08 | 9 MB | 24 MB |
| 10 | Big KidsMike Stern | Mike Stern | Play | 07:27 | 17 MB | 49 MB |
| 62 mins | 143 MB | |||||
| 62 mins | 407 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Bayles | Engineer |
| 2 | Jim Beard | Guest Artist, Keyboards, Producer |
| 3 | Greg Calbi | Mastering |
| 4 | Dennis Chambers | Drums, Guest Artist |
| 5 | Joe Ferla | Mixing |
| 6 | Dave Fischer | Assistant Engineer |
| 7 | Bill Frisell | Guest Artist, Guitar |
| 8 | Dan Gellert | Engineer |
| 9 | Lincoln Goines | Bass, Guest Artist |
| 10 | Matt Gold | Assistant Engineer |
| 11 | Lynn Kowalewski | Art Direction, Design |
| 12 | Caleb Lambert | Assistant Engineer |
| 13 | Phil Magnotti | Engineer |
| 14 | Bob Malach | Guest Artist, Sax (Tenor) |
| 15 | Ben Perowsky | Drums |
| 16 | Rory Romano | Assistant Engineer |
| 17 | Anthony Ruotolo | Assistant Engineer |
| 18 | John Scofield | Guest Artist, Guitar |
| 19 | Mike Stern | Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist |
| 20 | Greg Thompson | Assistant Engineer |
| 21 | Andrea Yankovsky | Assistant Engineer |
| 22 | Roy Zipstein | Photography |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |