Mike Stern is a miraculous guitarist. That’s not just high praise about his prowess on the instrument — although he’s certainly worthy of plenty of that — but rather an assessment of what’s he’s had to overcome in order to remain in the jazz game. It’s miraculous that he’s still playing today.
And, as fans witnessed on Monday during the first of two consecutive nights at Yoshi’s in Oakland, it’s even more miraculous that he’s able to do so at such an incredibly high level. After all, there very well could have been a different end to this particular storyline, which began after Stern fell and broke both of his arms outside of his apartment in Manhattan back in 2016. Besides fracturing both of his humerus bones, he had sustained severe nerve damage in his right hand (the one he uses to strum his guitar) and had to go through multiple surgeries.
He’s still greatly hampered by the injury, which limits the use of his right hand. He has major difficulties even holding a guitar pick in his hand, so, instead, he glues it in place so he can strum the strings. “It’s a real challenge,” Stern confided to me after Monday’s concert.
Despite the difficulties, the 71-year-old Boston native still managed to put on an incredibly enjoyable 90-minute set — and come across like the first-tier guitar hero that he is. Out on the road with his latest Mike Stern Band ensemble — featuring drummer Dennis Chambers, saxophonist Bob Franceschini, bassist Janek Gwizdala.
