Stanley Jordan

Stanley Jordan’s music sounds like a technological marvel delivered with the soul of a poet. By tapping the fretboard with both hands, he coaxes a sound out of the electric guitar that is entirely his own: a shimmering, bell-like clarity that allows him to play bass lines, chords, and melodies simultaneously. It has the polyphonic depth of a grand piano but the expressive, singing sustain of a high-end guitar.

What makes him truly distinctive is the lack of traditional picking or strumming. This removes the 'attack' of the plectrum, resulting in a liquid, flowing texture where notes seem to bloom out of silence. Even when he is playing complex jazz fusion or reinterpreting pop standards by the Beatles or Michael Jackson, there is a pervasive sense of calm and structural elegance to his arrangements.

Start with his 1985 breakthrough, Magic Touch. It is the definitive document of his technique, featuring a version of 'Eleanor Rigby' that will fundamentally change how you think about the possibilities of six strings. It’s the perfect entry point for anyone who loves the technicality of jazz but craves the melodic warmth of pop.