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You are here: Home / Reviews / Saxophone Stuff / A Blast from the Past-Chromazone by Mike Stern Cover

A Blast from the Past-Chromazone by Mike Stern Cover

March 2, 2016 by Steve 4 Comments

This weekend, I was going through my vast computer files and trying to clean out the gigabytes of junk I had on my computer when I discovered this old clip.

This is from a recording session I did way back in the early 90’s.  I think I was about 25 at the time and in my Michael Brecker/Bob Berg phase of tenor saxophone development.  I haven’t listened to this clip in years but I thought it would be fun to post it on here.  The sax has way too much reverb on it in my opinion but for whatever reason back then I thought it was cool.  I’m not a fan of it now that is for sure.

The musicians were:

Neil Itzler- Guitar

Dave Buda-Bass

Blake Lindberg-Drums

Indra Ismail-Keyboards

As I listen back to the recording there are things I don’t like about my playing but I think the energy level is pretty good…………..

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2016/Chromazone-Neff128.mp3

 

Chromazone by Mike Stern

*I was playing on a H. Couf Superba I tenor saxophone and a Sugal JB .105 high baffle tenor mouthpiece at the time.  Shortly afterward, that Sugal mouthpiece bit the dust when I dropped it on the cement floor of my garage while trying to put a reed on it unfortunately…………

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: Chromazone, cover, Mike Stern, steve neff, tenor saxophone

Steve

About Steve

Steve Neff has been playing and teaching saxophone and jazz improvisation around the New England area for over 30 years. He is the author of many best selling jazz improvisation methods as well as founding the popular jazz video lesson site Neffmusic.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarMarc Contet says

    March 3, 2016 at 4:37 am

    It’s true that kind of music sounds really 90’s now.
    I was recently back to some Mike stern and Bob Berg recordings I was crazy about in the 90’s and I found they sounded old fashioned. The technic is crazy but the style is no more fitting the current trend. I agree with you that the energy is great. by the way your technic was already dam good at that time.. !

    Reply
  2. AvatarPlamen penchev says

    March 24, 2019 at 11:10 am

    Working on that now.great playng Steve!???

    Reply
  3. AvatarGiuseppe says

    March 25, 2019 at 7:16 am

    Steve wrote: “… but I think the energy level is pretty good…”
    Exactly what I think: from 01.41 … there is an explosion of energy!
    And I like, not only, just the energy level …
    Congratulations indeed, Steve!
    Giuseppe.

    Reply
  4. AvatarDan says

    June 9, 2025 at 4:26 pm

    Many years ago you sent me this and a few other clips from this same session. One of them was a Bob Mintzer tune. I think you sound incredible here. Yes it’s very 90’s but very true to style. Any other clips from this session you can share? What reed do you think you were using?

    Reply

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I am enjoying your style of teaching, and you’ve done a great job with the videos….good sound quality and well constructed lessons.  Balances the more guitaristic material found on the majority of guitar based programs.  Jazz vocab is what I’m all about at this point in the journey.  I especially dig the fact that you’ve studied with Bergonzi…helps me see his voluminous output in a more bite sized way.

Milton
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I have not received my alto yet but have already gone through 14 lessons. I love your approach, style, knowledge and competence. I now regret so much to have stayed away from playing the sax for the past 45-50 years…(I am 65).  But It is never too late to get back to your first love. After 23 years in compuer sciences and 22 years in finances…I am now back to music for the rest of my life.

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