A couple of cool cats

In the hip language of jazz music, the coolest artists are called “cats.” Contemporary jazz guitar legend Mike Stern, a six-time Grammy nominee, and his wife, Leni, a singer-songwriter-guitarist, definitely fit the definition. So it’s only appropriate that they have five — count ’em, five — fabulous felines at home.

The Sterns, together for 30 years (that’s nine lives in human relationships), have lived with many cats, including one named after jazz great Wes Montgomery. Two of the couple’s cats even appeared on Mike’s 2006 album, “Who Let the Cats Out?”

Today, the Sterns share their home with three Cornish rex cats, exotic-looking white creatures that look like they walked off an Egyptian painting, plus two Oriental shorthairs that resemble the rexes, only with charcoal-gray fur.

The cats’ names are Shanti, Emalaneni (which means “Hello” in Cameroon), Jimi Hendrix, Maximilian and . . . Barack Obama, who’s the vocalist in the family.

But all the felines love to hang out in the couple’s music room — they especially enjoy the amplifiers. “I used to think they liked the music we played, but really it’s because the amps get hot and cats love being warm,” Leni points out.

Any time a visiting artist comes over for a jam, the pets also jockey for position in the visitor’s guitar case, for a catnap!

One of them, Shanti, goes on the road with Leni, and has traveled as far as France and Germany. “She comes in the van with us — she’s the chief groupie!” Leni says.

“Shanti’s royalty,” Mike adds. “She’s a very cosmopolitan cat.”

“Like jazz, life is better when you improvise,” Mike likes to say — and the cats have an improvisational streak, too. The cats will undertake command performances. Explains Mike, “If you give ’em food, they’ll basically do whatever the hell you want!”

To demonstrate, he calls out “Party time!” and the cats all come running from the farthest reaches of the apartment to score a nibble of bonito flake or freeze-dried chicken treats, “pawsing” to pose for The Post photographer’s camera.

Mike Stern performs with his band Mondays and Wednesdays (when he’s in town) at 55 Bar, 55 Christopher St., 55Bar.com; Leni Stern performs Tuesday at 10 p.m. at 55 Bar; the Mike Stern Band headlines at Iridium April 7 and 8; show times are 8 and 10 p.m. Visit MikeStern.org for more information.

js@pet-reporter.com