Stanley Jordan on Shambhu Sessions

I'm very happy to share my new interview with the extraordinary guitarist Stanley Jordan on Shambhu Sessions.

Stanley is one of the most original guitar voices of our time. When he first came to wide attention in the 1980s with his revolutionary two-hand touch technique, it felt like the guitar had suddenly grown a new dimension. His playing could be pianistic, orchestral, explosive, tender, and deeply personal, often all within the same performance.

I've known Stanley for many years. We first met around 25 years ago at the wedding of a mutual friend, Geoffrey Menin. I heard him play and was completely blown away. The next morning, we met again at breakfast, and Stanley told me he practiced five hours a day. That stayed with me. Years later, when I began recording my own music more seriously, that level of devotion came back to me as a kind of quiet reminder.

Over the years, I've heard Stanley play many times in New York and California, and I also visited him at his home in Sedona some years ago. What amazes me is that he keeps growing. Some artists settle into what they're known for. Stanley keeps opening new doors.

In this conversation, we talk about his early musical life, beginning with piano, discovering the guitar, and developing the touch technique that became so central to his sound. We also talk about his studies at Princeton, the breakthrough of Magic Touch, his love of Jimi Hendrix, his work around the Grateful Dead musical universe, and his tribute projects Stanley Plays Jimi and Stanley Plays the Dead.

We also discuss Stanley's beautiful recent collaboration with the legendary Brazilian musician Milton Nascimento on "Meditation," from his forthcoming album Feather in the Wind. It's a gorgeous recording, and Stanley speaks about the experience with real warmth and depth.

What I loved most about this interview is how much Stanley sees music as a path toward connection. For him, improvisation is not just about notes. It is about listening, movement, feeling, and finding the deeper unity within many different musical directions.

This was a special conversation for me, both personally and musically.

You can listen to and watch the episode here: https://pods.to/s2e9

I hope you enjoy this episode of Shambhu Sessions.