Weekend Song – Stanley Jordan
August 25, 2007
When I was about twelve I went to the jazz festival in Nice. It was an incredible musical event. I saw my heroes and my dad (also my hero) took me every year.
Everyone played Nice. By the time I was fifteen I had seen Miles Davis several times, Lionel Hampton, Dave Brubeck, Michelle Petrucianni, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, McCoy Tyner, Dexter Gordon, Ornette Coleman, John Zorn, the Count Basie Orchestra, Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, Keith Jarrett, BB King, James Brown, Art Blakey, Chuck Berry, Ray Brown, Woody Herman (and met) Dizzy Gillespie (now that’s a story[later]).
Being blown away by music was a childhood recurrence. I’m not rightly sure how a boy can keep getting blown away by the same thing, but there it was. You’d think I would have learned.
One such occurrence was brought on by guitarist in his early twenties called Stanley Jordan, standing up there on a big stage by himself with a small Marshall amp at his feet, playing sweetly above the sound of dropping jaws.
Normally I wouldn’t like guitar solos. They are wanky and showy off. But this… this is vital expression.
One take, no open tunings and among the finest of songs ever written. His virtuosity even lets you enjoy the arrangement of the song. That’s arrangement. For one person. He’s letting himself take solos. There’s a bit at middle to end which is staggering and shouldn’t be possible for all of its skill and beauty. There’s this finger-tapped solo over a walking bass.
I don’t have the faculties to hunt for the words that don’t exist.
It’s possible that if you play guitar you will hate him, and if you don’t, you’ll vow you never will. Don’t. This is what can happen.
This is one of my favourite songs. One of the songs that, if it were food, I could eat with every meal for the rest of my life.
This is a song I enjoy being sad to, and there’s never been a better time for that.
Listen: Stanley Jordan – Georgia On My Mind
4 comments
He tunes his instrumentws differently, in fourths, like this: E, A, D, G, C, F. The first four are standard butr the last two are each a tone higher. Ity’s more fun that way.
I studied this technique just after he exploded in the early ’80s, it’s a marvelous way to play but it removes the band from teh picture, and I wasn;t so into that at the time. I might have to revisit now.
Ed – you’re a scholar and a gentleman. Thanks for the information. Some of his stuff canget a little show, but this stay just the right side of overstatement.
Yeah I think thats’ an old release, he’s not as note-y nowadays. But he’s always had taste.
I played this without looking at the title (THAT is how much I have grown to trust your taste, Cliff) and I love the way it just suddenly dawns on you: wait a minute! This is Georgia On My Mind I’m listening to!!
Leave a comment. Play nice. I will turn this blog around.