Mike Stern
Time In Place

In 1988, Mike Stern arrived at his third solo chapter, stemming from the excellent recording experience of the previous "Upside Downside". He managed, if possible, to do even better in this subsequent work in terms of stylistic maturity and compositional taste.

In "Time in Place", alongside the Massachusetts guitarist, we find a lineup of incredibly talented musicians, already experienced as "band leaders", who will leave an indelible mark on the entire fusion scene in the years to follow. On tenor and alto sax, there's the excellent Bob Berg (additional leader) with whom Mike will perform on stages worldwide for several years; Michael Brecker(!) on tenor in "Gossip" and "Chromazone"; Jeff Andrews on electric bass and Jim Beard on keyboards; Peter Erskine on drums and Don Alias on percussion. Additionally, worth noting is the excellent contribution of organist Don Gronlick in "No Notice".

The opening track "Gossip" clearly indicates from the first notes what kind of album we are dealing with: Brecker and Stern play the theme of the piece in unison, clearly derived from hard-bop but with an evident modal funk-fusion groove. This will be the connecting thread of the entire album, with Stern employing rather distorted sounds (closer to rock than fusion) in almost all of his solos.

The subsequent "Time In Place", the album's title track, significantly departs from its predecessor; it is indeed a languid atmospheric song, highlighting here the excellent soundscape created by Jim Beard and Don Alias, as well as an intense solo by Stern based on bending and pentatonic scales. Bob Berg's melodic taste, never banal, is also remarkable in this piece. A similar discussion can be made for track number 3 "Before You Go", the most acoustic piece of the entire work, where we can also enjoy a less aggressive phrasing from Stern.

With "No Notice", we return to decidedly tougher territories; in this setting, the "lion's" share is given to Michael Brecker, with his delightful solo starting at minute 03:50, supported by a more than convincing rhythm section. Rising to the occasion is also the following "After All", an intense and extremely melodic piece culminating in a wonderful solo by Bob Berg. The sixth episode "Four Shades" closely recalls certain metheny-like atmospheres, an ethereal and dreamy song where Peter Erskine stands out with his drumming.

The album closes with "Chromazone", the most representative track of the entire album and probably the most well-known of Mike Stern's entire career. The hard-bop based theme played in unison by Stern and Brecker (truly challenging to execute because it’s very close to a "musical tongue twister") is followed by a powerful solo by Brecker himself. Mike Stern "limits himself" from minute 03:40 to perform what will become one of the most famous and imitated fusion guitar solos in history, where we can detect significant influences ranging from Charlie Parker and Coltrane to Page and Hendrix, in a skillful intertwining of bebop scales and pentatonics on a modal E minor backdrop.

"Time in Place", according to the author, can be considered a genuine cornerstone of the fusion genre. A mature and cultured record, yet extremely enjoyable and accessible even to those less accustomed to the genre. Recommended for those who wish to approach fusion without delving into overly cerebral territories.

Cheers and (hopefully) until next time. Bye