MIKE STERN BAND FT. DENNIS CHAMBERS, BOB FRANCESCHINI, JANEK GWIZDALA, & LENI STERN

Mike Stern Makes Mack Avenue Music Group/Artistry Music Debut With Echoes and Other Songs, Out September 13

Legendary guitarist reaches new heights with renowned collaborators including Christian McBride, Chris Potter, Antonio Sanchez, Dennis Chambers, and Richard Bona

Triumphant album follows the loss of longtime producer and keyboardist Jim Beard, the closure of Stern’s beloved 55 Bar, and the continuing physical hurdles he faces after his 2016 injury

Echoes and Other Songs, Mike Stern’s Mack Avenue Music Group/Artistry Music debut, is a powerhouse document from one of the finest guitarists in jazz history, at a time in his career when he’s overcome immense physical struggles and experienced profound loss. In the sheer might of these performances, Echoes is a defiant record — not so much a victory lap as a call to arms.

It delivers all the elements that longtime Stern fans want, and then some: the hook-filled bebop writing; the gorgeous melodic sensibility culled from African music, gospel, and other influences; the breakneck improvisations that fuse jazz virtuosity with rock fire.

Beyond the aforementioned names, several of Stern’s most trusted collaborators are on hand to generate an explosive rapport — absolute masters like drummer Dennis Chambers, electric bassist and vocalist Richard Bona, saxophonist Bob Franceschini, percussionist Arto Tunçboyacian, and Leni Stern, the guitarist’s spouse, who guests on the West African ngoni.

The project also features Stern’s creative confidant Jim Beard played piano and keyboards, and produced the album — one of his last projects before his passing in March 2024.