Time In Place - Mike Stern

Recorded in December 1987 at Skyline Studios in New York City, Time In Place is guitarist Mike Stern's third album as a leader for Atlantic Records, produced by fellow guitarist Steve Khan. The seven all-original instrumental tracks feature two different saxophone voices: Michael Brecker appears on tenor on the opening "Gossip" and the closing "Chromazone," while Bob Berg handles soprano and tenor on the remaining tracks. The rhythm section of keyboardist Jim Beard, bassist Jeff Andrews, drummer Peter Erskine, and percussionist Don Alias provides a tight, groove-oriented foundation. Don Grolnick contributes organ on "No Notice." Stern's guitar style blends overdriven rock-inflected leads with melodic jazz phrasing, a sound developed during his tenure with Miles Davis's early-1980s bands. "After All" has been highlighted as the album's centerpiece, building from a measured opening through an increasingly intense guitar solo. The program balances uptempo fusion tracks with more subdued, melodic pieces, maintaining a continuity with the approach Stern established on his earlier albums Neón and Upside Downside. The album was reissued in 2007 by Wounded Bird Records.