Hendrix is alive and well, playing in Mill Valley!
When a friend asked me to see Stanley Jordan with him at the Sweetwater, (a couple weeks before the show), I said yes, without knowing who Jordan was. All I knew was that my friend, Stuart, also a top notch music junkie, knows his stuff and he wouldn't steer me wrong. And he didnt!
Jordan opened the show by coming out without a guitar and spoke to the audience about his experience and love for Jimi Hendrix. Since then, he decided that for an entire show, he will become Hendrix, and that is exactly what he did! He exited the stage and returned as Hendrix. He played to an enthusiastic audience. And his playing was excellent, very close to the man himself. His bass player was also great as was an added vocalist and drummer.
Stanley Jordan started his career in 1985 as a guitar virtuoso. His mastery of a special technique on the guitar’s fretboard made Jordan a standout amongst other guitarists. Instead of conventional strumming and picking, Jordan's innovative "touch technique" is an advanced form of two-handed tapping. While a handful of other players were using similar techniques, Stanley’s fluid, multi-layered textures raised the bar for excellence. His unusual technique allows Jordan to play simultaneously on two different guitars, or even on guitar and piano. He says that “I think of it as a single instrument, but one with a wide range of tonal colors—that’s why I do it.” Watching Jordans fingers on the guitar neck was impressive and fast. The man on stage was full of talent and the sound of this music was the proof!
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