July 31, 1959

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Guitarist and pianist Stanley Jordan was born on July 31, 1959 in Chicago, Illinois.

Jordan, who began learning piano at the age of 6, graduated from Princeton with a BA in music.

He was the first artist to be signed to Blue Note after the label relaunched in 1985. His album Magic Touch topped Billboard’s jazz chart for an astonishing 51 weeks.

Jordan’s unique guitar playing style utilizes an alternate tuning and two-handed tapping.

By the time he was eleven he switched to the guitar playing with rock and soul groups throughout his teens and won an award at the 1976 Nevada Jazz Festival.

He performed with Benny Carter and Dizzy Gillespie while studying at Princeton University and earned a BA in music from the school in 1981.

In 1985 Stanley released his debut album “Magic Touch”, on Blue Note Records.

The jazz fusion guitarist is highly acclaimed for the unique use of harmonics in his two-handed tapping technique, a trademark of his style.

Stanley has performed in Jordan more than sixty countries and continues to appear at Festivals worldwide.

Stanley Jordan is featured live in Monteroduni, Italy at the Eddie Lang Jazz Festival during August 2013.

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