Mike Stern Live in Hollywood w/Tom Kennedy

[AztecViking]

This Thursday I saw Mike Stern play at the Catalina Jazz Club. The other band members were Dennis Chambers - Drums, Tom Kennedy - Bass, Randy Brecker - Trumpet.

The show was advertised as having Anthony Jackson as the bassist which had been the case up until they got to California. After show I asked Stern about it and he said that Anthony had gotten ill in Washington ( I think that's the state ) and it affected him so badly he simply had to go home and rest. Which was a rather big disappointment to a degree but I it was still an amazing performance by everyone.

As soon as they came onstage I realized that the bassist was Kennedy and not Jackson but I had also never seen Kennedy play live and have really enjoyed his playing on a few on Dave Weckl's solo recordings. Plus check out his "impossible" bass line and solo on the title track on Planet X's second release titled Moonbabies.

So yeah, it's not like the show was hurting for a top level bassist. But seeing Anthony Jackson live remains on my "to do" list.

Seeing Dennis Chambers was really the main reason I went though as, even though I am a bassist my favorite musicians tend to be drummers. More than any other instrument, they truly dictate whether or not a show sucks! I stand quite firmly by that opinion.

And on that count Chambers TOTALLY delivered. Always somehow staying "layed back" even when getting super intense and dramatic. And when he creates "rolling thunder" nobody can quite get the same "fireworks grand finale" effect as he does. A total gold medal winner in my book.

Randy Brecker , of "Some Skunk Funk" fame was amazing as well. Much of the time he had to just sit and "groove" while waiting for Stern to complete his solos but he really was the most "searing" instrumentalist in the house. He had an arsenal of effects and I think he got a "synthotone" out his Boss multieffects unit but he used his techno gear very sparingly. You almost might not notice that he even had the stuff most of the time. But he used it to excellent effect when it was active. It's almost like he played a dual role as keyboard synthesist but absolutely never went overboard with that duty. He still mainly stood out as a top level brass player but honestly has as much presence as Stern did.

Quite honestly I have NEVER seen a trumpet player have the same type of musical presence as a rock guitar player ( while also at the same time being FULLY versed in jazz playing ) I wouldn't have been convinced it was even possible until I saw Randy! And it wasn't like he was trying to mimic a guitarist. His playing just had that searing "in your face" type presence.

And of course Stern's playing also has that so they were a great match to have together as soloists.

Kennedy also got a few solos in. They tended to be a few minutes long and cram packed with 16th notes or fast triplets. He played straight fingerstyle always and never slapped.

I'll try to put pictures of his rig and bass up. His amp was one of the more pricey Markbass models and the cab that I recognized was a Markbass 4x10. He also had some sort of 15" cab but I did not recognize the make. If I get the pics up maybe someone can identify it.

At first I didn't think he was loud or tonally defined enough but as they played adjustments were made and by the third song I really liked the tone he was getting.

Overall a really great performance by everyone and afterwards I was able hang out and speak with Stern a bit who is a quite friendly and good natured guy. I asked him I bit about his days touring with Jaco. I also bought I live DVD from him.

Anyways a live show I would definitely recommend checking out if they come through your area. I'll see about adding pics once I actually see how they came out.

PS. Right in the entrance way of the club when I came in was standing the quite distinct looking Lee Sklar who was also there to see the show. To me he looked the same as he did in the old Phil Collins Susudio video. I also noticed that he'd make a great Santa Claus!

[AztecViking]

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[AztecViking]

I just realized the equipment shots I took were with my friend's camera but here are two flashless live shots I took myself.

Kennedy was playing a 5 string Fodera with an Anthony Jackson style body and I think the Markbass head he was using was one with an 800 in the title.

[Just Thumpin']

Tom Kennedy plays his own signature Fodera Emperor II...

J

Originally Posted by AztecViking

I just realized the equipment shots I took were with my friend's camera but here are two flashless live shots I took myself.

Kennedy was playing a 5 string Fodera with an Anthony Jackson style body and I think the Markbass head he was using was one with an 800 in the title.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by AztecViking

I just realized the equipment shots I took were with my friend's camera but here are two flashless live shots I took myself.

Kennedy was playing a 5 string Fodera with an Anthony Jackson style body and I think the Markbass head he was using was one with an 800 in the title.

Tommy has a bass that was spec'd just for him (I have had the pleasure of playing it). Very lightweight (swamp ash, I believe), with a reduced/smaller Emperor II body style (i.e., a smaller version of the standard Emperor II, which has the 'J Bass like' asymmetrical body design of the Emperor, but with the non cutout/single cut top horn of the Imperial). The other difference is the pickup placement, which moves the neck pickup closer to the bridge, ala Ken Smith. However, I believe Tommy primarily plays with the bridge pickup solo'd.

Tommy is now a Markbass artist, and travels (usually) with the Momark equivalent of the SD800. He often uses different cabs that are available in the city that he happens to be in, but his preference is the Markbass 410HLF.

And yes, Tommy is known (for better or worse) for his blazing 32nd note solo flurries!

Just FYI.

[Walbodiddy]

I'm sitting two tables from the stage of the last set of this show. I was thoroughly enjoying the anticipation of seeing Anthony Jackson when I found this thread. Show starts in 5 minutes. He'd better get well soon.

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by AztecViking

He played straight fingerstyle always and never slapped.

word

[BassBrass]

Originally Posted by AztecViking

Randy Brecker , of "Some Skunk Funk" fame was amazing as well. Much of the time he had to just sit and "groove" while waiting for Stern to complete his solos but he really was the most "searing" instrumentalist in the house. He had an arsenal of effects and I think he got a "synthotone" out his Boss multieffects unit but he used his techno gear very sparingly. You almost might not notice that he even had the stuff most of the time. But he used it to excellent effect when it was active. It's almost like he played a dual role as keyboard synthesist but absolutely never went overboard with that duty. He still mainly stood out as a top level brass player but honestly has as much presence as Stern did.

Quite honestly I have NEVER seen a trumpet player have the same type of musical presence as a rock guitar player ( while also at the same time being FULLY versed in jazz playing ) I wouldn't have been convinced it was even possible until I saw Randy! And it wasn't like he was trying to mimic a guitarist. His playing just had that searing "in your face" type presence.

Gosh I should copy that onto the Trumpetherald website for a laugh. Randy been doing that since Larry Coryelle's "11th House" in the early 70s. Never heard Maynard live, huh? Bill Chase? The trumpet lead player for ANY major big band of the last century was a fire-breathing, slap you in the face with sound presence monster. Lead guitarists WISH they had that kind of impact. Arturo Sandoval, Bobby Shue, John Faddis, the Candoli brothers, (one did the Jetson's solo) Roy Eldridge, Don Ellis, don't get me started on Harry James's physical impact..., the Basie trumpet section, etc etc...Tim Hagans (was lead with Kenton) has been doing electrified stuff for a while now. Wallace Roney, Nicholas Payton and Roy Hargrove are FIRERY modern trumpet players who use electronics... Nils Petr Molvear, Eric Trufaz, Chong Vu, Jon Hassel, (Miles Davis) and Hakan Hardenburger and a few on the mellow electric side, not fire breathing. Then there are many others less famous...like Satish in NYC...

[greenboy]

He's not just talking about that type of "fire-breathing" presence though - he's also talking about a mindset of "comping" and not just soloing. Good tenor and bari sax players do it too sometimes, effects being a tool but not the only way to approach it.

Both Brecker Bros had the comping thing going on way back in the days of DREAMS in 1970.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by BassBrass

Gosh I should copy that onto the Trumpetherald website for a laugh. Randy been doing that since Larry Coryelle's "11th House" in the early 70s. Never heard Maynard live, huh? Bill Chase? The trumpet lead player for ANY major big band of the last century was a fire-breathing, slap you in the face with sound presence monster. Lead guitarists WISH they had that kind of impact. Arturo Sandoval, Bobby Shue, John Faddis, the Candoli brothers, (one did the Jetson's solo) Roy Eldridge, Don Ellis, don't get me started on Harry James's physical impact..., the Basie trumpet section, etc etc...Tim Hagans (was lead with Kenton) has been doing electrified stuff for a while now. Wallace Roney, Nicholas Payton and Roy Hargrove are FIRERY modern trumpet players who use electronics... Nils Petr Molvear, Eric Trufaz, Chong Vu, Jon Hassel, (Miles Davis) and Hakan Hardenburger and a few on the mellow electric side, not fire breathing. Then there are many others less famous...like Satish in NYC...

I believe what he was talking about is that it is relatively unusual for a trumpet player to be such an integral part of a more traditional aggressive rock fusion electric group, much less be totally out front and 'legitimate' sounding in that context (like a good lead guitarist). I agree with his post. I also agree wih you that Roney, Payton and Hargrove are kind of in this category, but come (pure IMO here) more from a more expected and traditional 'post bop' sort of background, versus the 'trumpet does Hendrix' sort of vibe that Brecker has, at least when he is playing in a Brecker Brothers/Stern type context.

Pure IMO there, but I do hear Randy as being not only a founder of this school of 'rock trumpet playing', but also one of the few that I've heard pull it off.

[Bass_Thumper]

Sounds like it was a great show. I've got an older DVD of his with Richard Bona playing bass and I've worn that disc out. I sure hope to see him one of these days for sure.

[BassBrass]

Originally Posted by KJung

Pure IMO there, but I do hear Randy as being not only a founder of this school of 'rock trumpet playing', but also one of the few that I've heard pull it off.

You post's description made me realize I forgot Tiger Okoshi! How could I? Back then we used the King mouthpiece transducer and octave preamp...Tiger used one.
I suppose you have a point about the rareness of elec. trumpet players in fusion as compared to guitar. Instead of a million there's just 10,000. Probably 100 in NYC. There are even more el. violinists in fusion. It's a big world. Props though to you for knowing some of the players I mentioned. You should check out Tim Hagans fusion stuff. Guitar solos are so routine.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by BassBrass

You post's description made me realize I forgot Tiger Okoshi! How could I? Back then we used the King mouthpiece transducer and octave preamp...Tiger used one.
I suppose you have a point about the rareness of elec. trumpet players in fusion as compared to guitar. Instead of a million there's just 10,000. Probably 100 in NYC. There are even more el. violinists in fusion. It's a big world. Props though to you for knowing some of the players I mentioned. You should check out Tim Hagans fusion stuff. Guitar solos are so routine.

I'll check out Tim Hagans... never heard of him. Cool.

[odin70]

I was in NY this summer and went to the 55bar not once, not twice, but three times, to hear Anthony Jackson with Mike Stern. Every time there was something that prevented him from showing up..I was dissapointed. BUT Kennedy played great bass! I really enjoyed hearing him.

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by odin70

I was in NY this summer and went to the 55bar not once, not twice, but three times, to hear Anthony Jackson with Mike Stern. Every time there was something that prevented him from showing up...

Pretty sure it's width of the door at the 55bar that prevents AJ's rig from fitting into that club!

[Fliptrique]

Stern played in my city a few years back - same thing happend. Anthony Jackson couldn`t make it and Tom replaced him. He had a markbass rig and what looks to be the same bass - sounded very, very midrange-y, but in a great way - lots of punch and bark.

Great show.

[MikeBass]

Originally Posted by AztecViking

As soon as they came onstage I realized that the bassist was Kennedy and not Jackson

Wonder what gave it away?
Him being a thin white dude and not a heavy set black dude, or the different Fodera?

My bet, us all being geeks like we are it was the different Fodera!

[adammazza]

I've seen Stern play with Tom Kennedy at the 55 Bar. Great show. Catching Stern with Wooten and Weckl at the Iridium next Weds night.