Stanley Jordan

Stanley Jordan - Magic Touch - 1985 - Blue Note

Calculated to take the world by storm, this set includes Jordan tackling jazz standards (Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight," Miles Davis' "Freddie Freeloader"), pop tunes (The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby") and Jordan originals. About half the tracks are Jordan unaccompanied, while the rest are mostly drums and bass. His interpretations are consistently interesting: "Round Midnight" is played in 3/4, and "Eleanor Rigby" is gritty and charged after its atmospheric opening. His playing on Jimi Hendrix's ballad "Angel" is lovely, the best cover of a Hendrix tune I've ever heard (and I've heard many). His originals are catchy but lack depth ("All The Children") - the most experimental touch is the African rhythms on "Return Expedition." And "The Lady In My Life" lacks verve; it's uninteresting pop/fusion. (© DBW) http://www.warr.org/jordan.html#MagicTouch

This debut record from Stanley Jordan features the guitarist's extraordinarily idiosyncratic tapping technique on a variety of material. Jordan's revolutionary approach to the instrument, consisting of striking the fretboard with both hands to sound notes, allows him access to musical possibilities that are simply out of the reach of other guitar players. It is in his hands that the guitar attains a level of self-accompaniment formerly held only by the piano. Fortunately, Jordan puts his prodigious chops to good use making good music. One area in particular in which he is terrifically talented is in the reinterpretation of modern pop material. His version of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," accompanied only by the subtle percussion of Sammy Figueroa, dismisses the British melancholy of the original for a light-as-air interpretation that brings out the playfulness in the melody. Also impressive is Jordan's cover of Michael Jackson's "The Lady in My Life," which the guitarist gives a smooth, sultry reading. On the flip side, Jordan also proves that he is not out of touch with the history of jazz, with delightful versions of "Freddie Freeloader," "'Round Midnight," and "A Child Is Born." The guitarist's sidemen, who include drummers Omar Hakim and Peter Erskine, are all seasoned professionals, and they play well, but no matter how good the group performances on Magic Touch are, they are no match for the shocking polyphony of Jordan's solo material. It is there that the record really comes alive. Jordan's later albums were not to capitalize on the promise shown on his debut, but in Magic Touch the guitarist had something truly special. An instant classic, and one of the definitive moments of modern jazz guitar. © Daniel Gioffre © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/magic-touch-mw0000649595

Warning: do not be deceived. Despite what your ears might tell you, there is only one guitarist on "Magic Touch". And there are no guitar overdubs whatsoever. This may be somewhat difficult to grasp upon first hearing since there are clearly separate and independent guitar lines on the ten cuts herein. Bill Milkowski writes, "While some guitarists (Eddie Van Halen, Adrian Belew, Frank Marino) have already toyed with two-handed hammer-on effects as a means of embellishing pyrotechnic guitar solos, no one has pursued the potential of this revolutionary approach with as much purpose and dedication as Stanley Jordan. Rather than relying on the tapping technique for mere ornamentation, he has evolved a fully-realized theory that has become the basis for his unique voice. Jordan proves on this auspicious debut that he is indeed a sensitive artist and a bold pioneer." © 1996-2012 Guitar Nine All Rights Reserved http://www.guitar9.com/magictouch.html

Outstanding pop fusion/"smooth" jazz album from the low profile but brilliant Chicago born guitarist, Stanley Jordan. Daniel Gioffre of AllMusic said that "In Magic Touch the guitarist had something truly special. An instant classic, and one of the definitive moments of modern jazz guitar." Wikipedia says that "After Jordan's unique technique and obvious musicianship thrust him into the spotlight, he became frustrated with market constraints and demands placed on him and his music. Several music factions wanted to claim the Jordan sound as its own and encouraged him to follow in the track of other artists. In the early 1990s, Jordan was upset with the rigid adherence to previously-entrenched musical categories and the limitations usually placed on artists by major labels. Stanley Jordan abandoned his management team and went into deep study of music therapy and is now a member and spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association". Try and listen to Stanley's 1982 "Touch Sensitive" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 100 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Eleanor Rigby - Lennon & McCartney 7:00
2 Freddie Freeloader - Miles Davis 6:03
3 Round Midnight - Thelonious Monk 5:03
4 All The Children - Stanley Jordan 5:00
5 The Lady In My Life - Rod Temperton 6:25
6 Angel - Jimi Hendrix 4:11
7 Fundance - Stanley Jordan 2:33
8 New Love - Stanley Jordan * 5:35
9 Return Expedition - Stanley Jordan 8:00
10 A Child Is Born - Thad Jones 3:33

N.B: Not included on original vinyl release

MUSICIANS

Stanley Jordan - Guitar
Wayne Brathwaite - Electric Bass
Charnett Moffett - Acoustic Bass
Onaje Allan Gumbs - Keyboards
Peter Erskine, Omar Hakim - Drums
Sammy Figueroa, Bugsy Moore - Percussion
Al di Meola - Cymbals

SHORT BIO

Stanley Jordan's discovery in the early '80s rightfully earned a lot of headlines in the jazz world as he came up with a new way of playing guitar. Although he was not the first to use tapping, Jordan's extensive expertise gave him the ability to play two completely independent lines on the guitar (as if it were a keyboard) or, when he wanted, two guitars at a time. He had originally studied piano, although he switched to guitar when he was 11. After graduating from Princeton in 1981, Jordan played for a time on the streets of New York. Soon he was discovered, had the opportunity to play with Benny Carter and Dizzy Gillespie and, after recording a solo album for his own Tangent label, signed with Blue Note. Since then, his career has been surprisingly aimless. Stanley Jordan can play amazing jazz, but he often wastes his talent on lesser material, so one has to be picky in deciding which of his recordings to acquire. Among his many albums are 1985's Magic Touch, 1986's Standards, Vol. 1, 1990's Stolen Moments, 1994's Bolero, 2003's Dreams of Peace, and 2008's State of Nature. In 2011, Jordan was joined by an all-star lineup featuring saxophonist Kenny Garrett, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Kenwood Dennard for the album Friends. © Scott Yanow © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stanley-jordan-mn0000011910