Famous tap/touch guitarist Stanley Jordan, already had Hendrix and Grateful Dead tribute shows going, when Jazz Alley persuaded him to combine the two (see below). He brings the blended tribute to Jazz Alley, November 4-5. He graciously took some questions over email.
Seattle Star: You mentioned hearing Hendrix as a young child. When and how did your first exposure to the Dead, come?
Stanley Jordan: I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1964 to 1977, so I was there during the Dead’s formative years. For us they were a local, as well as a national, act.
One of my closest friends saw them frequently, and his reports put Jerry Garcia on my radar. In particular my friend talked at length about Jerry’s versatility, and about the band’s deep musicality that exceeded most of the other prominent rock bands of the day.
Seattle Star: What were your first impressions of Dead music? How did those impressions grow and change over time?
Stanley Jordan: The Dead always fascinated me, because they occupied a unique niche in the music world. The word “Americana” may seem at first like an unlikely description, but I think it fits. Their music is an amalgam of rock, folk, country, blues and jazz.
Starting around 2012, I had the honor of being a frequent guest with Phil Lesh and Friends, and one day Phil told me an interesting thing to understand the Dead’s music. He said to “Think Dixieland,” because each instrument is off doing its own thing, yet they all magically fit together. That advice helped me to find my role within the ensemble, and it speaks to the heart of the term “Americana.”
Seattle Star: The Dead cut their first album in a speedy haze, dropped into a heavily psychedelic phase, came up turned to folk rock, and spent the rest of their time blending the above. Which eras, and which songs, mean the most to you, and why?
Stanley Jordan: Out of all their phases and genres, the one that speaks most to my heart is the jazzy and modal explorations of songs such as “Dark Star,” “Unbroken Chain,” and “The Other One.” Those songs connect to my lifelong experience as a jazz musician and, in fact, they inspired me to get into jazz in the first place when I was a youngster.
Seattle Star: Garcia had a very clean sound, as opposed to Hendrix’s frequent distortion. How do you go about paying tribute to Garcia’s style overall?
Stanley Jordan: I approach my Grateful Dead and my Hendrix tributes very differently. In the Hendrix tribute I try to channel not only the music, but also the spirit and persona of Jimi as if he were still performing today. In my Grateful Dead tribute, I don’t try to portray Jerry, but I do build on his role within the band, so in that way I am influenced indirectly by his style.
I’m also a big Les Paul fan, and I got to sit in with Les frequently when he played New York. I’ve never heard anyone say this, but I think Jerry was influenced by Les, so that clean, lilting, melodic approach is very comfortable for me.
Seattle Star: Did you ever see the Dead live? If so, where, when, and what did you take away from it all?
Stanley Jordan: I saw them twice around ’94 to ’95, both times in the Bay Area. My favorite place to see any artist is in their hometown, so I can experience the environment that spawned their music. As a youngster my friends had told me that each concert was not just a performance—it was a “happening.” But I didn’t totally get that until I saw them later in the 90s, and I was just as taken with the audience as with the band. A whole city would spring up in the parking lot, complete with its own local economy.
Seattle Star: The Dead did perform “All Along The Watchtower” in a style influenced by Hendrix–although of course it’s a Dylan song to begin with. What are your thoughts on those performances? Are you tackling “Watchtower” live?
Stanley Jordan: In fact yes, we are going to play “Watchtower” in our Seattle performances. The folks at Jazz Alley asked us to combine the two tributes, which seemed daunting at first. But then we learned of a legendary Dead show in 1968 when Hendrix was supposed to sit in, but it didn’t happen. We are going to pretend that he did sit in, and do that show as a fantasy concert.
We have the set list that they actually played, but modify it to include some songs with Jimi. We weren’t planning to announce any of the songs, but you kinda got me on that one so yes, we’re definitely going to play “Watchtower.”
Seattle Star: You’ve discussed the mechanics of paying tribute to Hendrix’s singing. How do you go about stepping into the shoes of Garcia and the various singing Deads?
Stanley Jordan: We all sing in the Dead tribute and our main lead singer, Jesse Hiatt, often sounds a lot like Jerry. Some of my shows with Phil included both of his sons, and it was inspiring to hear their mastery of the three-part vocal harmonies, and to feel its role in bonding them as a family band. It’s a long-term effort, but we’re working toward that level of connection with our vocals.
Seattle Star: What are your thoughts on Dead lyrics–from Robert Hunter, John Perry Barlow, or anyone else?
Stanley Jordan: With all the tributes going on these days, I think people are discovering more and more the importance of the Dead’s music as an essential part of the Great American Songbook. Their lyrics are a treasury of stories, mostly about the ups and downs of the common folk—getting into trouble, falling in and out of love, and just trying to find meaning in the everyday world.
Their music can be deceptively simple, because there are a lot of subtleties that would trip me up at first when playing with Phil. But what fixed it for me was when I learned that a lot of the songs were composed with the lyrics first. This provided the container for the music, and it explained a lot of the musical nuances.
Seattle Star: Aside from Garcia, who are your favorite Dead members, and why?
Stanley Jordan: I would definitely say Phil Lesh. Partly, of course, because I got to play with him, so I experienced his musicianship up close. But also because I credit him with finding a unique niche for a bassist within a band. He didn’t stick with typical bass lines—he was more like a melody player who just happened to play in the lower register. And he had a sound of his own that was both deep and clear.
Seattle Star: If I understand correctly, you tune your guitars in fourths. How did you decide on this tuning and how does it facilitate your technique?
Stanley Jordan: The fourths tuning simplifies the guitar fingerboard, making it easier to explore complex harmonies and melodies, and to manage the complexity of the touch technique where you have the hands playing completely independent parts. I actually tuned in that way by mistake the first time I ever tuned a guitar because it just seemed more logical. Of course I corrected the mistake and learned standard tuning, but five years later I decided to return to fourths and I haven’t looked back since.
And now, after a 30-year break, I’ve gone back to playing two guitars at the same time, but only for a limited period. The possibilities are even greater than one guitar, so again the fourths tuning pays off.
Seattle Star: You’re famous for tapping, but you’re using a pick at times for this Hendrix and the Dead material. How do you decide where and when to go back and forth?
Stanley Jordan: I mostly play with a pick for the Hendrix material because I believe that’s what Hendrix would be doing today. But I do include the touch, or tapping technique, because I think Hendrix would be using that as well. In fact I saw films of him playing with one hand, which inspired me to develop that technique in the first place.
Both techniques have their place. The pick is stronger, punchier, and more rhythmic, whereas tapping allows for more complexity and variety in the musical texture.
Seattle Star: When I interviewed you back in 2021, you eagerly discuss your Feather In The Wind album; your work in sonification plus other kinds of computer software; and your Integral Arts Academy. What’s the status on those projects?
After a long delay, Feather In The Wind is finally soon-to-be released. I plan to release one single before this year is up, and the whole album is slated for a February release!
Since we last talked my sonification work has progressed as well. One prominent example is my work with the periodic table here
My educational outreach continues with my online Integral Arts Academy. The main focus lately has been on mentoring via live video conferencing. I keep my students up to date on the progress of my own learning.
Seattle Star: What’s in the future for you, after this tour?
Stanley Jordan: After this tour I’ll be doing some recording and educational projects with virtuoso jazz guitarist Mimi Fox. Then after a short break for the holidays, I’m going back on tour to promote the Feather in the Wind album.
Stanley Jordan plays Jimi and the Dead — Jazz Alley, 2033 6th Avenue, Seattle WA 98121. Tickets $41.50 available here.
