Mike Stern

Mike is four-time GRAMMY nominee, and has established himself as one of
the premier jazz and jazz-fusion guitarists and composers of his
generation. Born in Boston in January 1953, Stern grew up in Washington,
DC, then returned to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music. In
1980, he moved to New York City, where he was recruited by Miles Davis
to play a key role in Miles' celebrated band of 1981. During his
three-year period with Miles, Stern appeared on three recordings with
the jazz maestro ¨C 'Man with the Horn', 'Star People'and the live 'We
Want Miles'. In 1986-7 Stern was a member of Michael Breckers potent
quintet, appearing on 'Don't Try This At Home'. In the 80s he also
formed a touring group with Bob Berg that included drummer Dennis
Chambers and bassist Lincoln Goines. They remained a working unit from
1989 to 1992, at which point Stern joined Michael and Randy Brecker in a
reunited Brecker Brothers Band, appearing on 'Return of the Brecker
Brothers, 'released in 1992. The '90s proved to be a prolific and
critically successful period for Stern. His acclaimed 1993 release,
'Standards (And Other Songs)', earned him the pick of Best Jazz
Guitarist of the Year by the readers and critics of 'Guitar Player'
magazine. Stern joins the Heads Up label with the August 2006 release of
'Who Let the Cats Out? 'Included on the guest roster are bassists
Richard Bona (who handles vocals on two tracks), Anthony Jackson,
Meshell Ndegeocello, Chris Minh Doky and Victor Wooten, trumpeter Roy
Hargrove, saxophonists Bob Franceschini and Bob Malach, drummers Dave
Weckl and Kim Thompson, harmonica player Gregoire Maret, and
keyboardist/producer Jim Beard.


BOB FRANCESCHINI
Tenor saxophone, also soprano, alto and baritone.

A Native New Yorker, born in 1961. In 1986 Bob began touring and
recording with Salsa great Willie Colon. He has ecorded with Victor
Bailey, Chris Botti, Bobby Broom, Marcus Miller, Dave Weckl, and Buddy
Williams just to pick out a few.
He also formed a band that became the musical backbone of one of Paul
Simon's groups. Around this time Bob recorded on many albums with such
artists as Celine Dion, Ruben Blades, and many others, as well as gigs
and tours with Ricky Martin, Lionel Ritchie, and Chico O'Farrill. In
1999 Bob was asked to join guitarist Mike Stern (formerly with Miles
Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Dave Sanborn,) in his quartet for a world tour,
taking the place of previous saxophonists Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, Bob
Sheppard and Bobby Malach. In 2002 Bob worked notably with Jennifer
Lopez on some national and international TV appearances. He also toured
briefly with Michel Camilo.

Lincoln Goines / Bass

A mainstay of the New York City jazz 'Latin ' studio scene for over 20
years and noted for his exceptional versatility and fluid style, Lincoln
has has recorded and performed internationally with an extensive list of
premier artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Gato Barbieri,
Dave Grusin, Paquito D'Rivera, Michel Camilo, Tania Maria, Eliane Elias,
Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, Bob Mintzer, Mike Stern, and Wayne Krantz.

In addition, he is an acclaimed music educator and a member of the
faculty at the Bass Collective in New York City, and a contributing
author for the book Bass Lessons with the Greats (Warner Bros.) and
co-author of the book and video Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban grooves
for bass and drums (Warner Bros.)
Lionel Cordew, drums

Lionel Cordew, a righty who plays drums left-handed, has been playing
since the age of five, professionally for the past eighteen years.
Cordew is a versatile, high energy drummer with an instinct for rhythms,
perhaps stemming from his Caribbean heritage. He has broad musical
interests and a particular zeal for contemporary jazz, fusion, r&b,
blues, rock, pop, classical, and modern percussion. He has also toured,
performed and;or recorded with Chick Corea, Roberta Flack, Bill Evans,
Gato Barbieri,Chico DeBarge, Kirk Whalum, Mark Johnson, Chuck Loeb,
Marion Meadows, Mike Stern Band, Wayne Krantz, Regina Carter, and
others. His tours have taken him from throughout the United States, to
Southeast Asia, Europe, Japan and South America.