artist/mike-stern-mn0000413405">Mike Stern is 1 of the to a greater extent than creative fusion guitarists, playing amongst the ability of stone but oft taking sophisticated improvisations. On this passionate fix (which consists of nine of his originals), artist/stern-mn0000413405">Stern is joined yesteryear the keyboards of artist/jim-beard-mn0000847263">Jim Beard, bassist artist/will-lee-mn0000962345">Will Lee, artist/dennis-chambers-mn0000816892">Dennis Chambers or artist/ben-perowsky-mn0000168470">Ben Perowsky on drums too (on 3 songs apiece) the tenors of artist/michael-brecker-mn0000390239">Michael Brecker too artist/bob-malach-mn0000068485">Bob Malach. Overall this is 1 of artist/mike-sterns-mn0000413405">Mike Stern's ameliorate recordings.
Reviewer Ries van Schelven writes close guitarist Mike Stern's 1994 let on "Is What It Is", "This is, inwards my opinion, Stern's best solo album. This album is sum of jewels. It has a definite jazz/rock audio to it, but has it's pure moments equally well. The album starts of amongst "Swunk", a typical Stern composition featuring Michael Brecker on tenor sax too a kicking donkey solo. Next, "A Little Luck" which is bright guitar work. Then it's ballad fourth dimension again, "What I Meant To Say", 1 of my favorites on the album - a soaring melodic piece, showing Mike's brilliance. Then comes unopen to funky materials on "Showbiz". Listen to the acoustic masterpiece "Wherever You Are", which features Harvie Swartz on the upright acoustic bass. The phrasing is breathtaking. The best slice is "Signs" - this is Mike Stern. The construction of the solo is incredible. It has Mike Stern's signature all over it. I similar when he uses his overdrive. It kicks ass! Definitely his best solo album."
At 1 fourth dimension swing was only unopen to other sort of trip the low-cal fantastic music amongst a musical rhythm of utilitarian regularity. It was alone inwards the hands of drummers similar Sid Catlett too Sonny Greer that swing acquired plenty flexibility to move useful inwards jazz. Baltimore's Dennis Chambers, a drummer for Parliament-Funkadelic too John Scofield, is directly bringing a similar flexibility to unopen to other trip the low-cal fantastic music, funk. On Is What It Is, yesteryear old Miles Davis guitarist Mike Stern, Chambers proves that funk tin move equally infinitely variable equally swing, too the soloists response amongst a rhythmic liberty odd inwards fusion.
This is what it is what is it... I mean, this actually IS Mike Stern's best work. All tunes are almost swell to a greater extent than or less.
"Swunk" is a quite typical Mike Stern rock/fusion tune, "A footling luck" is almost beautiful Stern-piece, tertiary vocal is ever ballad "What I meant to say" is all the same quite dull tune but Tracks 4-8 are only Greats! "Showbiz" is overnice funky humorsong too "Believe it" is actually proficient bluestune amongst rattling beautiful too tuff solo, "Wherever y'all are" is ballad again, but much ameliorate than "What I meant to say". Nice basswork yesteryear Harwie Swartz, "Ha ha hotel" is maybe Stern's best vocal of this kind. Crazy melody, high tempo, swell basslines too realy tuff guitarsolo too saxsolo yesteryear Bob Malach. "Signs" is mayhap Mike's best vocal ever, all Mike's best elements could move heard too guitarsolo is amazing! Melody too bassline are only fine too doesn't demand whatsoever "specialharmony", swell composition! Last vocal "55 dive" is 1 time to a greater extent than to a greater extent typical jazzypiece but soundless quite proficient subject too proficient solos yesteryear Mike too Bob. If y'all haven't heard this CD yet, I give y'all only 1 tip: Buy it today!
How would I propose y'all to bask Is What It Is?... Well... Just relax inwards an armchair, boost off-limits your fine-tuned stereo set... Program tracks #2, #6, too #8... Close your eyes...
Then experience Mike's music lifting y'all upwards gently to a higher house the clouds. Imagine you're riding a jet of unopen to supersonic capabilities (but it's actually non the betoken here). Imagine there's a push on the board y'all may press.
So, await for Mike's smoothen shifts towards pure crystal too aerial sounds he's the alone 1 to achieve amongst the distortion pedal this way... Wait for him to come inwards the most delicate, the clearest, the richest, too the most powerful solos you'll ever choose listened to thence far...
Push the push at that time, equally Mike invites y'all to... Lift off to the stratosphere, too ride outer space...
If y'all loved this journey, plough to Tell Me, too Pages, on Mike's Between The Lines album, too to If You Say So, on Odds Or Evens, too detect what the best jazz-rock guitarist has to offer: the most beautiful aerial music ever.
Track listing:
07:53 Swunk
06:36 Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Little Luck
06:20 What I Meant To Say
05:43 Showbiz
04:32 Believe It
05:32 Wherever You Are
06:10 Ha Ha Hotel
07:48 Signs
05:44 55 Dive
Personnel:
Mike Stern - Guitar
Michael Brecker - Saxophone
Jim Beard - Synthesizers, Piano, Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer Piano, Production, Additional Engineering
Will Lee - Bass
Dennis Chambers - Drums
Ben Perowsky - Drums
Harvie Swartz - Acoustic Bass
Bob Malach - Saxophone
EmoticonEmoticon