The Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley presents guitarist Stanley Jordan, touring in support of his latest release State of Nature, for four nights. Band members are Phil Sparks (bass) and Matt Jorgensen (drums). Set times are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30pm and 10:00pm and Sunday at 7:30pm. Doors open at 6:00pm Thursday and 5:30pm Friday - Sunday.
Touring in support of his 2009 Grammy-nominated release, State of Nature, guitarist and "touch virtuoso" Stanley Jordan has proven himself a forward thinking innovator from the moment he made his debut in 1985 with the gold-selling Grammy nominated album Magic Touch. With his nimbly executed "touch" or "tap" technique, he ushered a dazzling and spellbinding new sound into the world of progressive instrumental music. Because of the extraordinary originality of his approach to guitar, Stanley has been looked upon first and foremost as a musical original, orbiting in an artistic universe without predecessor or immediate successor. With his groundbreaking new album, State Of Nature (his first mainstream release in over a decade, and his debut for the Mack Avenue label), Stanley Jordan makes another bold step by using his music to aurally illustrate profoundly unifying truths about man's relationship to nature and humankind.
Known for his "touch" or "tapping" technique used to achieve a level of orchestral complexity equaling that of a keyboard instrument, he can often sound like two or three guitarists at the same time. While a handful of other virtuoso players were using similar techniques, Stanley's fluid and melodic use of tapping captured the imagination of listeners via his inherent warmth and sensitivity. Though Jordan showcased the technique in a variety of musical styles from swing to rock, it was smooth jazz radio support for his singular versions of "The Lady in My Life" (first recorded by Michael Jackson) and the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" that sent Magic Touch to the top of Billboard's jazz chart for a stunning 51 weeks.
One way to attack the daunting task of describing Stanley Jordan is to think of him as a world class guitarist who marches in all aspects of his life to the beat of his own drummer. Never one to be locked into constraints when it comes to musical expression, genres or applications, the Palo Alto, California-born prodigy is a progressive thinker with ideals that stretch beyond record deals.
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For more information, visit the website for Stanley Jordan Trio.