Stanley Jordan Trio: New Morning—The Paris Concert

Recorded in 2007 at Paris' New Morning months before the release of his State of Nature album, guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan—joined by David Haynes on drums and longtime sideman Charnett Moffett on stand-up bass—performs 12 numbers drawn from the genres of jazz, pop, and classical. The show kicks off with a solo version of the Beatles' "Yesterday" and closes with the fusion-oriented "Return Expedition" from 1985's Magic Touch, with in-between highlights including the fast-paced original "A Place in Space" and a dreamy rendition of Horace Silver's "Song for My Father." While Haynes and the sweat-stained Moffett take a break, Jordan performs an improvised excerpt from Bela Bartok's "Concerto for Orchestra, Second Movement" on guitar and Mozart's "Piano Concerto #21, Second Movement" on piano. For fans disappointed by Jordan's forays into funk and watered-down soul during the 1980s and 1990s, New Morning—The Paris Concert represents a refreshing return to form, as no synthesizers or drum machines distract from the musician's fluid, finger-tapping technique. Presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, DVD extras include an interview with Jordan. Recommended. Aud: P. (K Fennessy)