It's been more than 20 years since jazzman Stanley Jordan catapulted to the forefront of the jazz-fusion scene with his mesmerizing "tapping" technique on guitar.  But, who knew Jordan was also a talented pianist?  VOA's Doug Levine fills us in. 

'State of Nature' CD

Yes, that's Stanley Jordan playing piano and guitar simultaneously on the Miles Davis classic, "All Blues," without any overdubs or post-mixing in the recording studio.  Jordan plays piano on eight of the 14 tracks from his new album, State Of Nature, leaving fans wondering which came first; piano or guitar?

Jordan's foray into music began on the piano at age three, almost eight years before he learned how to play guitar.  He says, "Piano was a natural instrument for me."

Jordan admits he's better trained on guitar than piano.  It wasn't long before he mastered his signature technique of tapping on the guitar's fret board, instead of traditional strumming and picking the instrument.  Essentially, Jordan produces both the melody and chords at the same time, giving him greater control over the volume of the notes.

Stanley Jordan touch-taps his way through an eclectic set of originals, standards, Brazilian rhythms, a classical piece, and even a rendition of Joe Jackson's '80s pop hit, "Steppin' Out."

Jordan plays guitar and piano simultaneously on Horace Silver's "Song For My Father".