Legendary guitarist Mike Stern has been celebrated for his versatile style of playing since he burst onto the scene in the 1970s, performing across genres with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, The Brecker Brothers, David Sanborn, Béla Fleck, Yellowjackets and others. With Echoes and Other Songs, Stern brings together an all-star group of musicians (including Chris Potter, Jim Beard, Christian McBride, Antonio Sanchez, Richard Bona & Dennis Chambers) for 11 brand new originals that will captivate and unite guitar and jazz fans of all generations. The successful album follows the loss of longtime producer and keyboardist Jim Beard, the closing of Stern's beloved 55 Bar and the ongoing physical hurdles he faced after his 2016 injury. "Echoes" and Other Songs is a powerful document of one of the best guitarists in jazz history overcoming immense physical issues and experiencing profound loss at a time in his career. Through the sheer force of these performances, "Echoes" is a defiant album - not so much a victory lap as a call to arms. It has all the elements longtime Stern fans crave and more: the hook-laden bebop tunes, the gorgeous melodic sensibility that draws from African music, gospel and other influences, the breakneck improvisations that fuse jazz virtuosity with rock fire Christian McBride, Chris Potter, Antonio Sanchez, Dennis Chambers and Richard Bona are joined by several of Stern's most trusted collaborators to create 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 wife, who can be heard on the West African ngoni. Stern's creative confidant Jim Beard is also involved in the project, playing piano and keyboards and producing the album - one of his last projects before his death in March 2024. Think of Mike Stern's "Echoes And Other Songs" as a love letter to jazz, to the guitar, to the camaraderie of the stage and to his own unbroken will.