Mike Stern's first set Sunday night at the Horseshoe was a joyful experience. 5 tunes, three of which I thought I reocognized from his Who Let The Cats Out? CD. Besides being a formidable player, what makes Stern work for me is his blend of beautiful melody lines with practically Led Zepplinish, bottom heavy, rocking out. I love it totally and completely. The other three members of this 4 piece, bass, tenor and drums, were all extraordinary players in their own right and Stern gave them each loads of room to stretch. The bass player in particular was a treat and we should all expect to see him touring and recording as a leader before long.