Guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan has announced a new band, Stanley Plays The Dead, which will honor the legacy and spirit of the Grateful Dead with jazz-influenced “cosmic variations” on the band’s extensive songbook.
Jordan along with drummer Kenwood Dennard (Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock), bassist Greg Koerner (Vince Welnick, Crimson Rose), and keyboardist/guitarist Jesse Hiatt (Cedric Burnside) will launch the project in April with a pair of shows at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. They also have a show at Kennedy Plaza Boardwalk in Atlantic City, NJ on July 10th.
“The Dead’s repertoire is an important part of the Great American Songbook. Over time people are realizing this more and more,” Jordan said. “One mark of a good song is that it can be reinterpreted in many ways and it still holds up. These songs definitely fit that description.”
Known for his eclectic style and unique finger tapping technique, Jordan has become a frequent collaborator of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, often playing with his rotating Phil Lesh & Friends ensemble.
“Since I’ve been playing with Phil a lot of his fans have started coming to my shows. I wanted to reward them with something that I knew they would like. I also wanted to bring new people in to share in the spirit of openness and belongingness that this music brings about,” he explained.
“There’s something to be said for carrying the energy by direct transmission. And over the years, getting to know and play with Phil has been very enriching. Many things that he’s said have helped me to understand this music in a deeper way. For example he once told me, ‘If you want to understand the Grateful Dead’s music just think Dixieland. Each instrument is doing something completely different but it all fits together.’ Wow, that was a revelation! From there I began to approach my role in a more melodic way and to not fixate so much on the chords.”
In a world full of various Grateful Dead tribute acts, Stanley Plays The Dead promises something new and unique. “We’re expanding the harmonic structure and adding more jazz elements, while preserving the original feel and flavor of the music,” he said. “And most importantly, we’re keeping the trippy vibe-maybe even deepening it.”
In addition to Stanley Plays The Dead, Stanley Jordan has upcoming shows with his longstanding Jimi Hendrix tribute, Stanley Plays Jimi, as well as solo and quartet tour dates. For a full list of his upcoming performances and to purchase tickets, visit his website.
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