The Institute recently welcomed world renouned bassist Anthony Jackson & guitarist Mike Stern to its premises to show off the skills which have made them both so in demand! Click here to watch some video footage of the masterclass

Anthony Jackson

Bassist Anthony Jackson stands as one of the masters of the instrument. The ubiquitous sideman's exhaustive discography spans many genres' of music. His tenacious research into the origins of the bass lead to the invention of the six string contrabass, a couple of decades before five string basses became popular. He also has the distinction of co-writing with Gamble & Huff, The O'Jays' million selling single For The Love Of Money' from their platinum album Ship Ahoy.

Jackson began learning the piano as a teen before switching to the guitar. Like many, Jackson picked up the bass after being influenced by legendary Motown bassist James Jamerson. Years later, he contributed to Allan "Dr. Licks" Slutsky's classic book/CD set Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson. At 18 he became a session musician and after becoming a member of Billy Paul's band, he started working with Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records.

With such success, Jackson became an in-demand musician for both live and recording sets, working with Roberta Flack, Buddy Rich, Michael Urbaniak, Al Di Meola, Chick Corea, Leon Pendarvis, Paul Simon, Chaka Khan (Naughty ,What Cha' Gonna Do for Me) Steely Dan (Gaucho-My Rival', Glamour Profession') and Donald Fagen (The Nightfly-I.G.Y What A Beautiful World', Ruby Baby') and others.

Mike Stern

In a career that spans three decades and a discography that includes more than a dozen eclectic and innovative recordings, four time GRAMMY nominee Mike Stern has established himself as one of the premier jazz and jazz-fusion guitarists and composers of his generation.

After college, Mike got his start as a guitar player with Blood, Sweat & Tears at age 22. Following a brief stint with Billy Cobham's powerhouse fusion band he moved to New York City, where he was recruited by Miles Davis to play a key role in Miles' celebrated comeback band of 1981.  

In 1986 he made his debut on Atlantic with Upside Downside, featuring such celebrated colleagues as David Sanborn, Jaco Pastorius, saxophonist Bob Berg, bassists Mark Egan and Jeff Andrews, keyboardist Mitch Forman and drummers Dave Weckl and Steve Jordan. 

Other notable sideman credits include work with the late tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson and the live recording 4 Generations of Miles, in which he joins other Miles Davis alumni George Coleman on tenor sax, Jimmy Cobb on drums and Ron Carter on bass.  

The '90s proved to be a prolific and critically successful period for Stern. His acclaimed 1993 release, Standards (And Other Songs), earned him the pick of Best Jazz Guitarist of the Year by the readers and critics of Guitar Player magazine. He followed that up with two hard hitting offerings - Is What It Is in 1994 and Between The Lines in 1996 - both of which scored GRAMMY nominations.

In 1997, he recorded Give And Takewith bassist John Patitucci, drummer Jack DeJohnette, percussionist Don Alias and special guests Michael Brecker and David Sanborn. Their freewheeling covers of Sonny Rollins' "Oleo", John Coltrane's "Giant Steps", Cole Porter's "I Love You" and Jimi Hendrix's "Who Knows" helped Stern earn the Orville W. Gibson Award for Best Jazz Guitarist that year.

Stern's ninth release for Atlantic was a six-string summit with colleagues Bill Frisell and John Scofield that was appropriately titled Play. HisVoices (2001) release, his first foray into vocal music, was also another GRAMMY nominee.

After 15 years with Atlantic, Stern shifted to ESC for the 2004 release of These Times, an eclectic set that included guest appearances by some high-profile session players - bassist Richard Bona, saxophonist Kenny Garrett and banjoist Bela Fleck.