Where is Stanley Jordan?
Trying to find current information on Stanley Jordan these days is next to impossible.
The last time his website was updated was October 2004. I did a search for upcoming tour dates and found nothing. Someone on a jazz guitarist newsgroup posted that he was playing the Dakota in Minneapolis, March 6-7, 2006...and that's pretty much it.
For those of you who don't know who Stanley Jordan is, he's a jazz guitarist. But, not just any jazz guitarist, he's actually more like a musical prodigy. I discovered him a few years ago when a friend gave me a copy of his DVD Stanley Jordan Live In Montreal (Montreal Jazz Festival). I was never into jazz. It just didn't appeal to me at all. But, I popped the DVD into the player and sat back to read a magazine. About 10 minutes later, I was sitting there staring at this DVD in complete fascination. It's not just the music quality, but just watching him...it's like he's lost in his music and completely oblivious to anything around him. It's just him and his guitar. I can't say I'm a jazz fan now, but I'm definitely a SJ fan. Also, during one part of the Montreal DVD he plays two guitars simultaneously (see video below). It's pretty amazing stuff.
Here's an article about SJ that sums it up pretty good:
TRYING TO DESCRIBE STANLEY JORDAN IN SIMPLE TERMS is like trying to explain Einstein's Theory of Relativity in ten words or less. No matter what you say, you'd be leaving a lot out. And yet, that is probably what you've already done if you haven't heard the whole story. Best known as a guitarist who has made major technical and musical contributions to his instrument, Stanley Jordan has already made a name for himself as one of the most significant guitarists of the latter 20th century. After seeing him perform with his trio at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Los Angeles Times jazz critic Leonard Feather was prompted to write, “Genius is a word too often tossed around in musical circles, but it has been rightfully applied to Stanley Jordan.”...Read the full article here
You would think a man with a description like that would have a huge ego. But he doesn't, which is amazing in itself. He used to post on usenet newsgroups all the time, and if you order one of his CD's from his website he'll autograph it. See, now that's just a really cool guy.
But what I don't understand is why I just heard about him a few years ago. Someone like this should be getting huge amounts of attention. But I guess he just wants to keep a low profile and doesn't buy into the celebrity game. Whatever the reason, I just hope he keeps playing shows and making music.
Here's Stanley playing Autumn Leaves at the Montreal Jazz Festival
This is the most current article I could find about him, from The Virginian-Pilot, January 22, 2006:
"Stanley Jordan's guitar playing still looks crazy after all these years. The 45-year-old jazz musician, who burst onto the scene in 1985 with the sparkling debut album "Magic Touch," doesn't strum or pick. Instead, Jordan "taps" on the fret board — the neck — of his guitar with both hands, which allows him to "feel" the notes. The technique enables him to plays melodies and chords at once, so the audience is hearing a one-man orchestra produce music of mind-blowing complexity..." Read the full article here
