Stanley Jordan Plays The Dead LIVE! on the AC Boardwalk

By Spotlight Central. Photos by Love Imagery

Fans of The Grateful Dead are truckin’ over to Kennedy Plaza on the Atlantic City Boardwalk this Wednesday, July 10, 2024 evening for a free Mardi Gras AC concert of Grateful Dead classics performed by virtuoso guitarist Stanley Jordan and his group, Stanley Plays The Dead.

Jordan began his music career at the age of six studying piano, but switched to guitar when he was eleven. As a teen, Stanley played in rock and soul bands and performed with Quincy Jones while he was still in high school.

After earning his degree in music from Princeton University, Jordan was signed to Blue Note Records where he perfected his innovative “touch technique” of guitar playing which involves an advanced form of two-handed tapping on the guitar’s fretboard that allows him to rapidly play melodies or chords and melodies simultaneously.

Over the course of his career, Jordan has performed with a variety of artists including Miles Davis, Kenny Rogers, Dionne Warwick, Stanley Clarke, Herbie Hancock, Dave Matthews, and the jam band, moe. He even appeared as a member of a guitar supergroup that included Eddie Van Halen, B.B. King, Steve Miller, Brian Setzer, and Les Paul. As a touring artist, Jordan has performed in over 60 countries on six different continents and has received four Grammy Award nominations.

A cool ocean breeze wafts over Kennedy Plaza on the Atlantic City Boardwalk as tonight’s opening act, The Bob Sterling Band, takes the stage. Along with Sterling on guitar, the group includes keyboardist Robin Van Duzee, bassist Bob Faller, drummer Bob Shomo, and percussionist Bobby Farina. During the group’s one-hour set, they perform a mix of original compositions including the smooth jazz opener, “Off the Glass”; the Latin-influenced “Beautiful Light”; the jazz fusion piece, “Peer Pressure”; and the bouncy “Here’s a Song for Laura.”

In addition to their catalog of original songs, Sterling and Co. also play a compelling mix of instrumental covers such as The Allman Brothers’ “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” Billy Cobham’s “Red Baron” and “Stratus,” Jeff Beck’s “Cause We’ve Ended Like Lovers,” Pat Martino’s “On the Stairs,” and Steely Dan’s “Josie,” which elicit avid cheers and applause from the crowd.

Following a short intermission, Mardi Gras AC concert producer Carmen Marotta introduces headliner Stanley Jordan, declaring, “We take great pride in bringing the greatest entertainment in the world to Atlantic City!” Jordan takes the stage along with guitarist/keyboardist Jessie Hiatt, bassist Greg Koerner, and drummer Kenwood Denard. Opening his set with a guitar solo, Jordan uses his “touch technique” to play with speed and feeling.

Morphing into a breezy version of The Grateful Dead’s “Eyes of the World,” Jessie Hiatt sings lead as he accompanies himself on guitar.

While Jordan works to repair his guitar pedal board, Hiatt, Greg Koerner, and Kenwood Denard take off on an extended jam session where Koerner renders a bass solo and Denard scat sings while playing the drums with his right hand and a keyboard with his left. Once he rejoins the band, Jordan offers up a thoughtful “touch”-type solo to enthusiastic whistles, cheers, and applause.

After Jordan jokes, “I think we’re warmed up now!” Denard explains, “This next song is Americana with a gospel beat,” prior to singing lead on a lively rendition of The Dead’s “Man Smart, Woman Smarter.” Music lovers join Denard in singing the number’s “That’s right, the women are smarter” refrain before Jordan renders a twangy guitar solo and Hiatt’s swirling organ is featured as heads bop and toes tap in the audience.

Hiatt handles the lead vocal on “Scarlet Begonias,” where concertgoers dance on the Boardwalk to the slow funk beat which travels along on the ocean breeze. Jordan captivates the crowd as he magically manipulates his fretboard before picking his strings in a more traditional manner as Grateful Dead fans cheer and clap along.

Segueing into the reggae-like “Fire on the Mountain,” Jordan plays barefoot on a speaker enclosure as Koerner and Denard happily deliver the groove on bass and drums.

The crowd cheers, and Denard announces, “Sometimes we do things in life we regret, and that’s what this song is about.” Rolling into “Big Railroad Blues” Denard croons, “Now my mama told me, Papa told me too/Well, I shouldn’t be here trying/To sing these railroad blues,” while accompanying himself on drums on this New Orleans gospel-style blues number.

Hiatt switches back to guitar for the Dead’s Southern-rocker, “Bertha,” where he sings, “That’s why if you please/I am on my bended knees/Bertha don’t you come around here anymore,” while Jordan makes his guitar ring out as night continues to fall.

Koerner sings lead on the rhythmic country tune, “Big River Blues,” which has Jordan moving to the groove and Denard playing a rockin’ and rollin’ drum solo.

Hiatt is back on piano for “China Cat Sunflower” a jazzy and funky tune where he croons, “Look for a while at the china cat sunflower/Proud walking jingle in the midnight sun,” before the band breaks out into an extended psychedelic jam.

Jordan’s guitar solo sounds almost computerized as he repeats a dissonant ostinato phrase, and Denard adds scatting to his expert drumming before the number morphs into a 6/8 feel and Jordan touch-solos to avid applause.

Segueing into the country-rocker, “I Know You Rider,” the crowd cheers as Jordan sings softly at the conclusion while playing his guitar.

The crowd cheers, and Jordan responds, “We’re so happy to be sharing this night with you!” prior to pointing to the moon and insisting, “It is so vital that we protect the earth. The question is, what are we going to do?” Here, Hiatt switches back to guitar as Jordan moves to the keyboard to play the beautiful melodic intro to “Morning Dew.”

Accompanying himself with a cascading keyboard part, Jordan sings, “Walk with me in the morning dew,” before Hiatt is featured on a guitar solo, the arrangement builds in intensity, and audience members are caught up by the soulful vibe.

The crowd hoots and hollers, and Jordan exclaims, “Thank you!” as Denard takes the lead on tonight’s final number, “Turn On Your Love Light.” Music lovers dance in the moonlight while others move closer to the stage to watch in amazement as Jordan touch-solos with speed and precision, bending his strings and making his guitar sing.

As concertgoers enthusiastically stand and cheer, Jordan thanks his band members and the audience, prior to concluding, “We love you so much! We’ll see you guys later!”

To learn more about Stanley Jordan, please go to stanleyjordan.com. For information on future free Mardi Gras AC concerts on the Atlantic City Boardwalk at Kennedy Plaza — including The Tony Mart Legacy Last Waltz show on July 24, The Devon Allman Project on August 7, and Samantha Fish on August 28 — please click on tonymart.com.