Stanley Jordan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stanley Jordan
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Stanley Jordan, October 3, 2017
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| Background information | |
| Born | July 31, 1959 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, jazz fusion |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Labels | Blue Note/Capitol/EMI, Arista/BMG, Mack Avenue |
| Associated acts | Paul Lansky, Milton Babbitt |
Stanley Jordan, born on July 31, 1959, is an American jazz guitarist. He is famous for his unique way of playing the guitar. He taps his fingers on the guitar's neck with both hands to make music.
Contents
Stanley Jordan's Music Journey
Early Life and Music
Stanley Jordan was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He started playing the piano when he was six years old. At age eleven, he switched to the guitar. Later, he played in rock and soul bands. In 1976, he won an award at the Reno Jazz Festival.
College and First Album
Jordan went to Princeton University. There, he studied how music is put together (music theory). He also learned about making music with computers. While at Princeton, he played with famous jazz musicians like Benny Carter and Dizzy Gillespie.
In 1985, a record company called Blue Note Records signed Stanley Jordan. He was the first artist they signed. His album, Magic Touch, became very popular. It stayed at number one on Billboard magazine's jazz chart for 51 weeks. This was a new record!
Stanley Jordan's Special Guitar Technique
Normally, a guitarist uses two hands to play a note. One hand presses a string down on the guitar's neck. The other hand then plucks or strums the string. Stanley Jordan uses a special method called "touch technique." It is an advanced way of tapping the guitar strings.
To make a note, Jordan quickly taps his finger down on the right spot on the guitar's neck. This tapping makes the string vibrate and create a sound. He taps with both hands, which lets him play a tune and chords at the same time. He can even play on two different guitars at once, or play guitar and piano together!
Jordan also uses a special way to tune his guitar. Most guitars are tuned EADGBE. But his guitar is tuned EADGCF. This means all the strings are tuned in "perfect fourths." He says this makes the guitar's neck easier to understand and play. His main guitar was made by Vigier Guitars in 1984. It has a very low string action, which helps with his tapping technique.
Working with Other Artists
Stanley Jordan has worked with many famous artists. These include Quincy Jones, Stanley Clarke, and The Dave Matthews Band. He has also performed at many big jazz festivals. Some of these are the Kool Jazz Festival and the Montreux International Jazz Festival.
In 2004, he released an album called Dreams of Peace with an Italian band named Novecento. He later signed with Mack Avenue Records. He released State of Nature in 2008 and Friends in 2011. Friends was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Stanley Jordan has been nominated for four Grammy Awards.
He even created the startup sound for some Macintosh computers! These were the Power Macintosh 6100, 7100, and 8100 models.
Stanley Jordan in Movies and TV
Stanley Jordan appeared briefly in the movie Blind Date (1987). In 1995, he wrote the music for a short film called One Red Rose. The next year, he wrote music for an ABC TV special called Daddy's Girl.
Since the mid-1980s, he has been on many TV shows. These include The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and The David Letterman Show. He also performed at the Grammy Awards.
Stanley Jordan's Personal Life
Stanley Jordan was married for a short time. He has one daughter, Julia Jordan, who is a singer and songwriter.
In 2023, Jordan spoke positively about author and presidential candidate Marianne Williamson. He said she was "bringing politics into the 21st-century."
Stanley Jordan's Albums
As the Main Artist
- Touch Sensitive (1982)
- Magic Touch (1985)
- Standards Vol. 1 (1986)
- Flying Home (1988)
- Cornucopia (1990)
- Stolen Moments (1991)
- Bolero (1994)
- Live in New York (1998)
- Dreams of Peace (2003)
- Relaxing Music for Difficult Situations I (2003)
- State of Nature (2008)
- New Morning: The Paris Concert (2008)
- Friends (2011)
- Duets with Kevin Eubanks (2015)
As a Guest Artist
- Muriel Anderson & Phil Keaggy, Uncut Gems (2003)
- Muriel Anderson, Wildcat (2005)
- Burt Bacharach, Blue Note Plays Burt Bacharach (2004)
- Anthony Branker, For the Children (1980)
- Dennis Chambers, Groove and More (2013)
- Stanley Clarke, Hideaway (1986)
- Billy Cobham, Drum 'n' Voice Vol. 4 (2016)
- Stu Gardner, Presents Total Happiness: Music from the Bill Cosby Show Vol. II (1987)
- Rebbie Jackson, R U Tuff Enuff (1988)
- Charnett Moffett, Net Man (1987)
- Charnett Moffett, Treasure (2010)
- Charnett Moffett, Music from Our Soul (2017)
- Novecento, Secret (2008)
- Kenny Rogers, The Heart of the Matter (1985)
- Dionne Warwick, Sings Cole Porter (1990)
- Muriel Anderson & Phil Keaggy, Precious Gems (2020)
See also
In Spanish: Stanley Jordan para niños
