We had a unique opportunity and privilege to talk to one of the most prominent Festival performers and the guitar wizard Stanley Jordan.
In 2008, the Verbalists Language Network partnered with one of the largest jazz festivals in Europe – Nisville. Three years later that cooperation has been extended to musical education. The Nisville Jazz Festival features workshops every year, aiming at educating young people through music.
The Festival conducted a free workshop in August 2011 for vocals and most of the jazz instruments – the piano, guitar, base, brass and wood wind instruments.
Verbalists used this unique opportunity to meet and talk to one of the most prominent Festival performers and the guitar wizard Stanley Jordan:
Verbalists interview: Stanley Jordan
August 2011, Nisville Jazz Festival
Stanley Jordan (July 31, 1959) is an American jazz/jazz fusion guitarist and pianist, best known for his development of the tapping technique for the guitar.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois, and he received a BA in digital music composition from Princeton University in 1981, studying under computer-music composers Paul Lansky and Milton Babbitt.
Stanley Jordan began his music career at age six, studying piano, then shifted his focus to guitar at age eleven. He later began playing in rock and soul bands. In 1976, Jordan won an award at the Reno, Nevada, Jazz Festival. While earning a degree from Princeton in 1981, he played with Benny Carter and Dizzy Gillespie.
Jordan has performed at many jazz festivals, including: Kool Jazz Festival (1984), Concord Jazz Festival (1985), and the Montreux International Jazz Festival (1985). During the 1980s, he played with Quincy Jones, Michal Urbaniak, and Richie Cole.
Since working at Birdland (jazz club) in New York in 1989–1990, Jordan has maintained a lower profile. Stanley Jordan has four Grammy Nominations.
