brandx@ihu1m.UUCP (Howard D. Weisberg) (04/09/85)
When I was going to school in Madison (1982-83), I saw Stanley Jordan perform several times. He played quite a bit there. I've seen him play solo (playing a single guitar). I've also seen him with a band (a bassist playing electric and acoustic and a drummer). When Stanley played with a band, he played 2 guitars at once. If you've seen Stanley, you know that he's not out to show off his technique, it's just that playing 2 guitars allows him a bit more freedom (keeps one hand from getting in the other's way). I've also heard stories of his arrival in Madison. Turns out that he was invited to a party, where he entertained the guests by playing guitar and keyboards simultaneously. He put out an album prior to the Blue Note record by himself. The album is called "Touch Sensitive" and I believe the record label is "Tangent." All the songs (except for a brilliant version of Havah Nagillah) were written by him. One of these songs "All the Children" appears on his new album. All of this music is solo and more in the vein of "All the Children" and not as varied as "Magic Touch". There are some great tunes: "Jumping Jack", "Renaissance Man", "I Have a Dream", etc. The story has it also that, a couple of years ago, he went to DownBeat magazine and introduced himself. They told him "Don't call us, we'll call you." Seems that after his appearance at the Kool Jazz Fest, they had no choice but to write. A few years ago, I read in the "Isthmus" (Madison's version of the Reader or the Village Voice), that he wanted to get into more pop-sy, vocal music. I hope he's given up that idea. Narada Michael Walden said that it was good that he played with Mahavishnu, because it gave him the oppurtunity to get out on his own and play R&B. Let's hope Stanley doesn't waste his talent like that.
boyajian@akov68.DEC (JERRY BOYAJIAN) (11/01/85)
> From: h-sc1!shiue (Steve Shiue) > What is special about Stanley Jordan is that he plays the > guitar in a way that I believe no one else has ever done it > - he taps the strings along the fretboard, playing it like a > keyboard (I believe that they do something special with the > amplification of the guitar). This enables him to play > independent bass and treble parts simultaneously on > different parts of the fretboard... While I have no dearth of admiration for Stanley Jordan, this technique you describe is not new, though Jordan has used it more extensively than most. This "two-handed tapping" is relatively common amongst heavy metal guitarists. Eddie Van Halen is a maestro of this technique, and he is the one responsible for its current popularity. And actually, Jeff Beck was doing a bit of it back in the 60's, and I would not be at all surprised if someone like Chet Atkins or Les Paul was doing it a decade or two earlier than that. --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Acton-Nagog, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...} !decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.DEC.COM
lp102911@sjuvax.UUCP (palena) (11/04/85)
>> What is special about Stanley Jordan is that he plays the >> guitar in a way that I believe no one else has ever done it >> - he taps the strings along the fretboard, playing it like a >> keyboard (I believe that they do something special with the >> amplification of the guitar). This enables him to play >> independent bass and treble parts simultaneously on >> different parts of the fretboard... > ...I don't know why the guy even plays the damned instrument,though I respect his innovative spirit and all.I'm of the opinion that these "trickster" guitarists are amusing but if they establish a trend,the results will be BAD!!.Stanley Jordan should've been a pianist,not a guitarist. Flame on,Flame on, Larry Palena
kirsch@sjuvax.UUCP (P. Kirsch) (11/04/85)
> What is special about Stanley Jordan is that he plays the > guitar in a way that I believe no one else has ever done it > - he taps the strings along the fretboard, playing it like a > keyboard (I believe that they do something special with the > amplification of the guitar). This enables him to play > independent bass and treble parts simultaneously on > different parts of the fretboard... > Besides the amplification of the guitar I think he uses a guitar with an aluminum-based neck which gives a better vibration of the strings when hammers down on it with his right hand. To me one of the biggest drawbacks to Jordan is that he can get no type of vibrato whatsoever with this method-- this to me leaves a guitar sound that is lacking in "feel". -- Another wunnerful letter from the semi-intelligent rotting brain of: Paul Kirsch St. Joseph's University Philadelphia, Pa { astrovax | allegra | bpa | burdvax } !sjuvax!kirsch Warning: Objects in Terminal Room are Closer than they Appear...