HEADS UP! GUITARIST STANLEY JORDAN COMES TO CATALINA’S DEC 15-17 PROMOTING HIS FANTASTIC NEW RELEASE. CHECK WWW.CATALINAJAZZCLUB.COM FOR MORE DETAILS

Stanley Jordan
Friends
Mack Avenue Records
www.mackavenue.com
By George W. Harris

Most of the time people see Stanley Jordan in concert, it’s either him in a solo performance, or with him leading a trio with Charnett Moffett/b and Kenwood Dennard/dr. Here, he shows that, as they used to say in kindergarten, “works hard and plays well with others.” He mixes and matches band sizes with the likes of fellow guitarists Charlie Hunter, Bucky Pizzarelli, Russell Malone, Mike Stern as well as like minded comrades like Kenny Garrett, Ronnie Laws, Nicholas Payton, and Regina Carter. He sounds just as comfortable cutting loose on the sextet piece “Capital J” as on the intimate “Lil’ Darlin” with Pizzarelli. He goes toe to toe with Stern on a remarkably fluid “Giant Steps” and does a delightful glide with Laws and Carter on “Samba Delight.” With his trio, Jordan shows his strengths, with a gorgeous reading of Debussy’s “Reverie” as well as the have-to-see-to-believe simultaneous playing of piano and guitar on “I Kissed A Girl.” A disc like this will either inspire you to practice your guitar even more, or make you just chuck it into the fire. You’ll either be completely inspired, or realize that the mountain is too high too climb. Try the former!