Guitar Greats Eric Johnson and Mike Stern to perform

NEWTON — Guitar legends Eric Johnson and Mike Stern will perform together at the Newton Theatre on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m.

Grammy award winner and preeminent contemporary guitar player Eric Johnson is esteemed for his stunning guitar mastery. Six-time Grammy nominee Mike Stern has established himself as one of the premier jazz/jazz-fusion guitarists of his generation. Together the dynamic duo are compelling with their guitar prowess, musical artistry, and riveting live performances.

Eric Johnson’s stature as one of the premier guitar players in contemporary music is his artistic trump card, backed by a Grammy Award and five nominations, platinum album, Top 10 hits like Cliffs Of Dover, praise from critics and the esteem of his peers. But the full hand of his talents marks him as well as a gifted songwriter, dynamic live performer, singer, pianist, song interpreter, and creator of a rich and diverse musical legacy.

Johnson’s success over the last 20 years was presaged by a grassroots rise in which he made his reputation as a formidable musical talent since he first became a local sensation in the Austin clubs as a teen with the psychedelic rock band Mariani. Trained on classical piano as a youth, he switched to the guitar after the stateside arrival of the Beatles in 1964.

As a young player he delved deeply into blues, jazz, country and other styles that inform his music. By the mid-70s, Johnson began touring and sparking a buzz about his astonishing talents in the jazz-rock outfit Electromagnets, whose recordings from that era were released in the 1990s to critical acclaim. He cut his teeth in the studio on sessions for Cat Stevens, Christopher Cross and Carole King, and by 1984 his stature was so strong that the unsigned artist was tapped to make his first appearance on the prestigious PBS concert show “Austin City Limits.” At the urging of such stars as Cross and Prince, Johnson was signed to a major label deal with Reprise Records and emerged onto the international recording scene.

Johnson’s eminence as a musical artist goes well beyond just his stunning guitar mastery. His keen compositional sense and lyrical playing create instrumentals that speak to listeners and convey thoughts, emotions and imagery.

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

An alum of Berklee College of Music, Mike Stern 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 from 1979 to 1980, 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, appearing on three recordings with the jazz maestro. In 1985 Stern recorded his first album, Neesh. A year later, he made his debut on Atlantic with Upside Downside, featuring such celebrated colleagues as David Sanborn, Jaco Pastorius, and Mark Egan. Over the next two years, Stern was a member of Michael Brecker’s potent quintet, appearing on Don't Try This At Home. He’s also recorded and/or toured with notables like David Sanborn, Brecker Brothers Band, and George Coleman.

The ‘90s proved to be a prolific and critically successful period for Stern. He was chosen as 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. Later in 2001 Voices, his first foray into vocal music, was also another Grammy nominee. In February 2009 Stern was named to the venerable jazz magazine DownBeat’s list of 75 Great Guitarists.

Tickets for Eric Johnson and Mike Stern are $44 for premium seating, $39 for orchestra and $34 for balcony. Purchase tickets by visiting www.thenewtontheatre.com or contact the box office at 973-383-3700.

The historic Newton Theatre, located at 234 Spring Street in Newton.