artist info

World-renowned guitarist Stanley Jordan has developed a new live show called "Stanley Plays Jimi." This is a tribute show, but it’s not pure imitation. Instead Stanley builds on Jimi's legacy in a creative way. As Stanley explains it, "This is my fantasy Jimi Hendrix concert if Jimi were still alive and playing today. By re-imagining his music and channeling his persona I try to bring that fantasy to life."

It may be surprising that Stanley Jordan would take on a project like this. After all, Stanley is already a well-known guitarist with a signature style, four Grammy nominations, a cameo in a Blake Edwards film Blind Date, and a host of TV appearances over a long career including Jimmy Fallon, David Letterman, Jay Leno and Johnny Carson to name a few. But Stanley explains, "I feel a strong connection to Jimi Hendrix because he was the first guitarist I emulated as a child. Out of love for Jimi and his music I feel a strong desire to try to keep his legacy alive."

It may also be surprising that a rock legend like Hendrix would get so much love from a jazz legend like Jordan. Stanley’s 1985 album Magic Touch was #1 on Billboard’s jazz chart for 51 weeks, and Stanley has shared the stage or recorded with jazz artists such as Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Billy Cobham. But again, hearing it from Stanley, "I actually played rock and blues before I played jazz. In fact, Jimi's constant searching for new sounds inspired me to move toward jazz in the first place."

In recent years Stanley has performed with many artists in the rock and jam band worlds, including the Dave Matthews Band, Umphrey’s McGee, Moe. and more. Stanley says, “Returning to my rock roots has been an absolute joy artistically, and with this project I’m taking that to a new level.”

Bassist Gary Kelly is no stranger to the music and times of Jimi Hendrix. As a bassist he has worked with many well-known artists from the 60’s and beyond. He has performed with The Mamas and Papas, Jimmy Buffet, and Martha and the Vandellas. He has also performed with many widely known guitarists: Bill Frisell, Mike Stern, Larry Mitchell, Popa Chubby, and Rhett Tyler to name a few. Many of these were in the classic guitar trio format, with extensive improvisation. Gary has spent many years working in recording studios. He had the good fortune to work at Electric Lady Studios (the studio Jimi Hendrix built) for many years as an in-house session bassist. He worked with Chief Engineer Dave Wittman, co-producing Gary’s first recording Dean Street, as well as work for guitarist Karl Cochran. Gary has been a long-time endorser for Hartke Amplifiers, D’Addario Strings, and Carl Thompson basses, and has done many clinic/concerts.

Kenwood Dennard is the perfect drummer for this band because he combines the deep pocket of Buddy Miles with the jazzy embellishments of Mitch Mitchell. And he knows Jimi’s music inside and out. He is a professor at Berklee College of Music where he has been leading the Jimi Hendrix Ensemble for 20 years.

Kenwood has enjoyed a multifaceted, star-studded career as a performer, recording artist, and educator. He has toured the world and performed with such greats as Jaco Pastorius, George Clinton, Chick Corea, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Sting, Pat Martino, Maceo Parker, Stanley Jordan, Gil Evans Orchestra, Wayne Shorter, Robin Eubanks, Esperanza Spaulding, Tal Wilkenfeld, Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, Bobby McFerrin, Amad Jamal, Larry Coryell, Pharoh Saunders, Howard Johnson, Taj Mahal, Whitney Houston, Tito Puente, Diane Reeves, Wayne Shorter, The Allman Brother's Band, Warren Haynes and Joe Zawinul; and led the Meta-Funk All-Stars, the Real Thing, and Quintessence.

His numerous recordings include Grammy nominated Sting's Nothing Like the Sun, Pat Martino's Joyous Lake, Brand X Livestock (I and II), Jaco Pastorius' Word of Mouth Band 1983 Japan Tour featuring Kazumi Watanabe, Bushrock Reset, Maceo Parker's Life on Planet Groove, Stanley Jordan's Friends, Naicin High Bias, Vanessa Williams's The Sweetest Days, and Live at Montreux with Miles Davis and Quincy Jones. His first solo record Just Advance came out in 1991 and his latest release, Show No Fear, was released on Groove Economy Records in the fall of 2018.

Kenwood is also well known as a pioneer of mastering simultaneous multi instrumental live performance, playing 2 keyboards, drums and singing all at once, what he refers to as Pansonic Coordination. He says,“After playing with Pat Martino and Brand X, I decided to concentrate on developing the MRO. My first concert was in 1979, where I played three keyboards and drums at the same time. I eventually developed it to the point where I could play eight ostinatos at the same time, and that led to playing all the parts of a song where I could sound like an entire band."