Stanley Jordan/Jimi Hendrix

[Qrious]

I was recently in another forum of primarily a different genre and I asked this question. When you see lists of all-time great guitarists, why doesn't Stanley Jordan's name make the list?

I was, in essence, verbally accosted for asking the question, "Can Stanley Jordan be mentioned in the same breath as Jimi Hendrix?" Mind you, I didn't say one was better than the other...just whether or not Jordan could be mentioned in the same breath as Hendrix, since Hendrix seems to always make the list.

I thought I'd join this forum to get some feedback here.

Thanks,
Qrious

[mahayana]

I'd say it is a genre thing. Stanley Jordon makes the list of great jazz guitarists, while Hendrix and Clapton are arguably the most influential rock guitarists.

It's funny, I remember one guitar player (whose band was playings things like covers of Jumpin' Jack Flash) telling me that Hendrix "wasn't that good." And I'm sure your other forum, if they even know who SJ is, were dismissive of his kind of music.

Both are amazing players.

[dkaplowitz]

I have very definite opinions with which I'll not burden the forum, but the one kind of objective thing to keep in mind is the question of how many people seek/sought to emulate SJ, and how many seek/sought to emulate JH?

Granted it's a different genre and JH was in a much more commercial genre, but if I ask myself whether SJ's influence on jazz guitar was as great as someone like JH's was on the future and direction of the art of guitar playing in general, I'd have to admit that it's not as great an influence.

If that's not good enough of a comparison, take Jaco Pastorius' influence on jazz bass. Tons and tons of people started playing just like him, started using the same gear, etc. etc. He was influential! How many two handed tapping jazzers have their been since SJ's emergence on the scene? A few? Yes. A revolution? Hardly.

Just an observation.

[epi]

Hi All,

All the above are very good observations! I also believe the complexity of Jordan's arrangements and the dexterity involved, are simply too involved for the average player. In 35 years of teaching I've found perhaps 1 out of a hundred students will tackle the difficult; they generally defer to the simplistic. I think It's the reason so few people fulfill their dreams..too much effort!

In recent years, I've come to appreciate some of Hendrix' work, (in perspective), whereas early on I thought it was all just showy noise.

Usually the 1st thing a student 30+- wants is---'scales man'; this pentatonic-that pentatonic etc., speed picking, sweep picking...'Insert adjective'. Few seem to want to exert even minimal effort...yet spend hours copying "licks"...I try to convince them that if they spend a few weeks learning to speak the language, and the whys of it, they'll be able to create what they want!

A bit off topic I know; but true nevertheless