Stanley earned a BA in digital music composition from Princeton University in 1981. Jordan is currently working towards a Masters Degree in music therapy and he owns and operates Sedona Books and Music. Stanley is touring throughout 2009 in support of his most recent major label release entitled State of Nature. His latest innovation is a bold, brilliant commentary about humankind's ongoing harmful impacts on the environment. Yet the CD offers hope - and through his music he offers the truth he has found - that we must change our ways and develop ourselves on the inside to becomes more harmonious with nature. The CD blends classical, jazz and rock stylings with the artist returning to the piano and utilizing tricky techniques such as playing two guitars at once.

Charnett Moffett utilized swift thumb-thumping on his stand-up and standard bass.

The Stanley Jordan trio performed eight shows over a four-night stand at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City from February 19th through the 22nd. The intimate Iridium features a Meyer Sound System that was conceived by the legendary Les Paul who performs at the venue most Monday nights. Drummer Will Calhoun sat behind a bright yellow Mapex kit and bassist Charnett Moffett played stand up enhanced by effect pedals for the majority of Stanley's set.

We attended the 8:30 p.m. show on Sunday, February 22, 2009 - the last day of the trio's four night engagement in New York. Jordan started with the piano first, proving he is apt at the keys. Soon he was playing the piano with one hand and hammering the guitar with the other. The outcome was layered and lush with the well-dressed rhythm team adding pulse to the piece.

For the second song, Stanley played the piano with two hands measuring the meters before the tempo picked up as the bass and drums melded into the mix. Jordan was tapping the guitar and led the tune through a diverse and dynamic fusion of jazz. Calhoun was commanding with his brush strokes before allowing the pace to soften and the piano to float back to the forefront. The most amazing element to Jordan's dual instrument approach was that he could switch hands to play chords and lead runs on both guitar and piano at several times during a given number providing new meaning to the term one-man-band.

Drummer Will Calhoun added potent and powerful percussion.

Jordan took center stage with his wood-toned guitar and touched the strings along the fret for a feisty, funky foray with mighty Moffett adding bold bass lines. Stanley alternated from touch to strumming his thumb over the strings for concise yet quick chord changes. Stepping back, Stanley gave way to a bass solo that was blistering and a fast furious drum roll before all three returned to the song.

The next tune was versatile enhanced by vibrant rhythms with Charnett utilizing the treble effect and other tricky techniques for earthy textures and tones. Stanley's hands were gently grazing the guitar strings for fluid, fret formations.

Jordan mentioned that some of the evening's selections were from his newest CD State of Nature including "Mozart's Piano Concerto # 21". The instrumental guitar solo was a beautiful blend of changes and colorful chord groupings with Stanley alternating between the strum and touch methods.

Moving back to the piano, Jordan played cascading keys that gushed into guitar chords that were somehow subtle yet strong throughout the song. Returning to the guitar Stanley played an animated piece that featured more technical skills with his hands close together on the neck of the guitar, crafting leads and rhythm simultaneously. Another familiar tune came to life as the trio presented a sublime version of "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" - a song first made famous by New York's own Simon and Garfunkel.

Stanley Jordan performed the amazing feat of playing guitar and piano at the same time.

During his solo, Moffett utilized swift thumb-thumping over the thick strings of the stand-up bass. Charnett combined this with other techniques to unite two rhythms together. He worked his hands up the neck of the instrument than switched to the bow for more sounds that were enchanting because of the added effects.

The next instrumental was rocking with robust rhythms that pulsed with power and more precise playing. The Stanley Jordan Trio closed their impressive set with "A Place in Space" from the new album. The piece was expansive, evolving with many sequences that ranged in sassiness and speed. In some parts, Jordan utilized more traditional guitar structures mixing them with his signature touch style. Moffett played an electric bass using the thumb-thump technique enhanced by effects for some out of this world sounds. During the jam, Will bombarded the blend with beguiling beats. Jordan just stood back digging the drumming before joining the mix and bringing the spacious instrumental to a close.

After the show, Stanley was available for a quick meet and greet before his second set of the night. Stanley Jordan is a wonder and watching him live helps one fully appreciate the scope of his innovations, talents and uniqueness. Jordan has wisely surrounded himself with a talented team to galvanize his complex compositions. The evening's performance - including many songs from State of Nature with its important message about stewardship of the earth - left everyone in an elevated state of mind.

Stanley Jordan is currently promoting his State of Nature CD.

Related Links: For more information on Stanley Jordan and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -- StanleyJordan.com | Buy State of Nature | IridiumJazzClub.com | JazzPromoServices.com

Originally Published: 02/24/2009 on Kweevak.com