WOMAD

Stanley Jordan

From United States

2001 biography:By now, the story of virtuoso guitarist Stanley Jordan’s discovery and rise to international acclaim is almost as legendary as his revolutionary playing technique. In 1983, the then 23-year-old Palo Alto native had recently been graduated from Princeton University and was performing on the streets of New York City, dazzling passers-by with an absolutely incredible two-handed touch and tapping technique no one had ever seen. Word began to spread, and before long Jordan was opening for Wynton Marsalis at Avery Fisher Hall, then appearing at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and finally headlining a week at the Village Vanguard. By the time his major label debut Magic Touch was released in 1985. Stanley Jordan had been firmly established as one of music’s brightest new stars. Today, music fans have come to associate Jordan with more than just blinding technical mastery: his albums have ranged from explorations of traditional jazz forms to experimental reworkings of contemporary pop songs, from stripped down solo and trio recordings to elaborate layerings of electronic sound. He has steadfastly refused to be categorised, and his open mindedness toward many diverse schools of music has led him to constantly broaden his stylistic range. Throughout his entire career. Jordan has always placed more value on real musical expression and passion than "simple" virtuosity or mere academic curiosity. On Bolero, his latest release and debut recording for Arista, Jordan has chosen to interpret five classics from across the musical spectrum and one original in a classical style. Jordan first explored the concept of classics on his 1986 release Standards Vol. I, but this time around he has chosen to fill out his arrangements with lush, intricate backing tracks. Jordan has given the album a majestic, modern lustre, and he has effortlessly demonstrated how songs and melodies from different eras can be viewed as part of the same musical continuum, rather than as separate entities. Bolero builds from a suspenseful opening synth sweep into a string of eclectic variations on the initial melodic statement. Slamming funk rhythms propel the track, along the way making room for sampled African chanting, Latin percussion breaks, orchestral punches and cascading keyboard lines. Jordan's guitar moves from gentle, soaring melodies to African "high-life" arpeggios to funky strumming and heavy-metal influenced pyrotechnics, tying the sections of the arrangement together into a logical, unified whole. In Bolero, Jordan also demonstrates his ability to play within conventional techniques on his first recorded use of the acoustic guitar employing both flatpicking and thumb picking techniques. Despite the diversity of his approach, Jordan's musical personality is easily recognizable. The highly anticipated release of Bolero signals the end of a four-year hiatus during which Jordan kept a low profile and reduced his concert appearances. In Jordan’s words, "The music business can work you to the bone if you’re a slave to it. I cherish the opportunity to take time out and nurture the more essential aspects of my life – spirituality, family, friendships, and the opportunity to develop my music in new directions. This has been an important time for me, and I hope that the insights and personal growth I've experienced have come through in the music."