Guitarist Stanley Jordan has formed a new band called Stanley Plays The Dead. Jordan has always loved the Grateful Dead's music and Jerry Garcia's playing in particular, and this 4-piece unit was founded to share that love with the fans. “Stanley Jordan playing the Grateful Dead—wait, what?” Actually, while this may seem surprising to some, anyone who really knows Stanley well won't be fazed in the least. Stanley has always held a diverse array of influences including classical, rock, World music and Americana. The Grateful Dead fits in there perfectly. Stanley says, “The Dead's repertoire is an important part of the Great American Songbook. Over time people are realizing this more and more.” One thing that's helping folks to appreciate it is the growing number of bands doing Grateful Dead tributes, and in many cases taking the music in new directions. Stanley Plays The Dead is definitely part of that trend. Jordan explains, “One mark of a good song is that it can be reinterpreted in many ways and it still holds up. These songs definitely fit that description.” Of course Jordan always puts a unique spin on things, and this project is no exception. So what's the spin? Stanley describes it as “Cosmic vibal variations on the music of the Grateful Dead.” He explains, “We're expanding the harmonic structure and adding more jazz elements, while preserving the original feel and flavor of the music. And most importantly, we're keeping the trippy vibe—maybe even deepening it.”