Bobby Stern .....that's who!!!
It's a long story, so I'll just give you some of the highlights (low-lights or no-lights omitted) in rough chronological order.
- born in Rochester, New York, USA into a family of musicians and raised in New York City.
- parents were professional opera singers (father, Maurice Stern; stepmother, Rita Loving)
- brother Stevie - guitarist/ singer/ blues harp master
- sister Heidi is the pop singer better known as Jennifer Rush
- as teenager, learned to play the blues harp by copying Little Walter solos
- attended the High School of Music & Art in NYC
- took beginning saxophone lessons with famed woodwind guru Joe Allard
- moved with family to Germany after junior year
- played first professional gigs in US military clubs in Frankfurt area
- made first recording as member of "Jazz Fusion" group "Virgo"
- made first solo recording "Bobby Stern and Head, Heart & Hands - Libra"
- toured Europe with Brazilian show "Brazil Tropical"
- re-formed Head, Heart & Hands (w/ Roy Louis - g, Geoff Stradling - kybds, Wolfgang Schmid - b, Guillermo Marchena -
- became a member of long standing Salsa group "Conexion Latina"
- Toured Spain with Thad Jones Septet
- performed several concerts with Spanish piano legend Tete Montoliou
- appeared as soloist on many pop & disco albums of the period recorded in Munich
- recorded as soloist on Marvin Gaye's "Midnight Love" album, co-produced by Harvey Fuqua
- attended Berklee College of Music for one semester on a tuition scholarship
- several gigs with guitarist Joe Perry (Aerosmith) in the Boston area & NYC
- relocated back to NYC; worked with several Salsa bands; played many weddings
- studio sessions as soloist with popular music producers such as Mike Powell, Phil Ramone, Desmond Child, Harald Faltermeyer, et al.
- completed course at the Institute of Audio Research, NYC for recording engineers
- awarded National Endowment for the Arts study grant to study saxophone and jazz improvisation with David Liebman
- toured Europe with Jennifer Rush
- began playing the Eletronic Woodwind Instrument (EWI)
- toured Europe with rock ' n' roll show including Clarence Clemons, Alvin Lee & John Mayall
- released self produced and recorde CD, "Ten to 2" featuring the EWI exclusively
- featured on recording with Conexion Latina - "Mambo 2000" which included Benny Bailey - tp & Nicky Marerro - timbales.
- produced "hip hop", "house", "smooth jazz" etc. for small labels in Germany
- was guest teacher for two semesters at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany, teaching saxophone, improvisation & ensemble
- authored "The Melodic Minor Handbook: A Jazz Player's Perspective" published by Jamey Aebersold.
- took part in alto saxophone legend Charlie Mariano's 85th Birthday Concert in Stuttgart, Germany
- recorded with, among others, Charlie Mariano - as, Billy Cobham - dr & Chaouki Smahi - oud, leader, "La Rose du Sable/
- took part in a seminar on Karnatic (South Indian) Music hosted by the German Youth Jazz Orchestra (BuJazO) and featuring
in Bangalore. This was a profound musical experience.
- took part in several concerts, including the North Sea Jazz Festival with a group including Jasper van't Hof - p,
- recording and concerts as a member of Wolfgang Dauner's United Jazz & Rock Ensemble, 2nd Generation
In Memory of Charlie Mariano & Guillermo Marchena
Charlie Mariano - Painting by his wife Dorothee
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Guillermo Marchena
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