Stanley Jordan: Standards Volume 1 – 1986

In my lust for Blue Note CDs, I’ve mostly focused on the label’s classic period: the 1950s and ‘60s. That’s where you’ll find the very best hard bop and soul-jazz ever produced.

But nothing good lasts forever, and no particular musical style stays popular for long. As bop and soul faded, so did Blue Note. The label limped into the ‘70s, producing not much of interest. Finally, inevitably, the label died in the 1980s. It simply stopped producing new records.

But – surprise! – the funeral was short-lived. Blue Note sputtered back to life in the mid-‘80s, searching for a new niche, and one of its most popular new artists was guitarist Stanley Jordan.

If you were a jazz fan in 1985, you probably bought the CD of Jordan’s Magic Touch. It was a genuine phenomenon. Using an unusual two-handed technique, Jordan played the guitar like a piano – making it sound like two guitars. He was a freak of nature. He accompanied himself on one single instrument, and when it worked, it sounded great. The opening track, a frantic, bluesy, amazing rendition of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby,” was the undisputed highlight.

It was a shocking debut, but not perfect. “Freddie Freeloader” and “Round Midnight” were astonishing remakes of jazz classics. But the rest of the album was a mixed bag of gentle melodies and tunes that bordered on easy listening. One or two songs were pure schlock.

And so the world waited for the sophomore record. Where would he go with this phenomenal technique?

Not far, it turned out.

A year later, Jordan produced Standards Volume 1 – an album of 10 completely unaccompanied guitar solos. It was ballsy, true, but also a mixed bag. It confirmed everything we already knew from Magic Touch. The opening and closing numbers were absolutely astonishing. “The Sound of Silence” was positively groovy. “My Favorite Things” was a version so far removed from John Coltrane, it was practically a new song. And the closer, “Silent Night,” was the blues-iest version ever recorded – almost unrecognizable at first, but ultimately a great pleasure.

The rest? Not so much. For starters, the song choices were weird. Stevie Wonder’s “Send One Your Love.” Bread’s “Guitar Man.” The Fifth Dimension’s “One Less Bell to Answer.” The Beatles’ “Because.” Standards? Maybe in some bizarro universe.

And the treatments were just so-so. A corny rendering of “Moon River.” A jaunty but predictable take on “Sunny.” Again, as on Magic Touch, Jordan mixed great tunes with mediocre ones.

If you’re unfamiliar with Stanley Jordan – and how is that even possible? – definitely try these two debut records. Better yet – take half of Magic Touch and half of Standards and throw the rest away. That would make one outstanding, 5-star record. It’s the best way to listen to early Stanley Jordan.

Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Availability: Plenty of used copies on Amazon

Cost: Would you believe under $1 used?

Herbie Hancock: Speak Like a Child – 1968

Speak Like a Child feels like the mash-up of two separate albums. One is a lyrical set of three tunes – mellow songs with childhood themes. The other is a standard set of three bop tunes. Both are nice, but the quieter songs are maybe a bit too tame.

Give Herbie Hancock credit for trying something new. He wrote all the tunes. Speak Like a Child is his sixth Blue Note record, and much of it sounds unlike his previous five. The key difference: Three unusual horns – a flugelhorn, a bass trombone and an alto flute – that provide background color to many tunes, but don’t take solos. Throughout the record, Hancock is the only solo voice. Everyone else is there for support.

The mellowness starts with the title cut, which, for some reason, is the second on the album. It’s melodic and pretty, but nothing that makes you jump up and say, “Wow, let’s hear that again!” If your mind is in a wandering mood, this is your mood music. The beat is slightly bossa nova. It feels like lounge jazz.

The theme continues with “Toys,” another pretty melody with the horns again playing background support, very much like on a Gil Evans album. It’s a mild, cheerful theme and Hancock takes his pretty solos. The final themed song, “Goodbye to Childhood,” is as mournful as the title implies. This isn’t just pretty music. It’s a sad dirge that’s actually very affecting. If you’re in a sad or reflective mood, this number will be your perfect accompaniment.

Much better, to my ears, are the up-tempo tunes. The album kicks off with a remake of “Riot.” It’s a fun and adventurous romp – very different from the Miles Davis version, and certainly less riotous. “First Trip” is a terrific and jaunty blues number. For my money, this is my favorite on the record. The whole affair wraps up with “Sorcerer,” another remake of a Miles Davis number that Hancock makes his own – happy and bopping.

Speak Like a Child tends to be overlooked in the Herbie Hancock catalog. No surprise there. Hancock has so many great and popular albums – both the traditional kind and the fusion-funk records – that the lesser efforts are, well, definitely lesser. This one deserves a listen for being something out of the ordinary: Simple, but not simplistic.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

Availability: Pretty common

Cost: Just $2 or $3 used on Amazon