Album info
Album-Release:
2015
HRA-Release:
25.11.2025
Album including Album cover
- 1 Morning Sun 04:08
- 2 Summertime 05:14
- 3 Nature Boy 05:43
- 4 Someone Like You 05:16
- 5 A Child is Born 06:16
- 6 Old School Jam 04:33
- 7 Vibes 04:18
- 8 Blue in Green 03:13
- 9 Lights 05:06
- 10 Goin' on Home 04:32
Info for Duets
The impeccably balanced Duets includes four spontaneous arrangements of well-known classics: “Nature Boy,” “Blue in Green,” “Summertime” and “A Child Is Born”; plus interpretations of modern pop songs (Adele’s “Someone Like You” and Ellie Goulding’s “Lights”). This was the all-natural uncalculated result of long philosophical heart to hearts as well as a nine-city tour – over 30 years after Eubanks’ and Jordan’s first meeting in the early ‘80s at New York’s famed jazz-fusion club, The 55 Bar. The supplemental genesis of the pairing resides in their decision to do a short tour, initially playing separate sets with each musician occasionally popping in on the other’s time. Word got back that audiences liked it best in those moments when they played together. Everything changed during a sound check in Texas in April 2013. “We were in an all-wooden church where the acoustics were fantastic,” Eubanks recalls. “We started playing, looked at each other, and felt how easy and nice everything flowed. That exchange created a lot of energy. The show flipped to us starting the show together, playing a couple songs alone, then us back together to close.” Summing up Kevin Eubanks’ and Stanley Jordan’s inaugural Duets recording, Jordan thoughtfully concludes, “This album fills a nice niche because it’s relaxing yet engaging. When you hear Kevin and I play together, it’s all about the music – we’re not competing. I just love the feel of it – it has a real sweetness. People who have a heart and listen from their right hemisphere are really going to love this record as an antidote to the norm.”
Kevin Eubanks, acoustic guitar (1, 2, 9), bass (2, 3, 7, 9), electric guitar (4, 6, 8~10), piano (4, 5), acoustic and steel & nylon string guitars (7), keyboard, vibraphone (7)
Stanley Jordan, electric guitar (1, 3~7, 9, 10), piano (8)
Kevin Eubanks
Philadelphia native Kevin Eubanks grew up surrounded by music. His mother, Vera, was both a gospel and classical pianist, and his brothers Robin and Duane play trombone and trumpet respectively. Eubanks started as an elementary student playing violin, trumpet and piano and eventually found himself studying at Berklee College of Music. After graduating, he moved to New York City and started performing with legends such Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, and Sam Rivers, carving out a spot as the go-to guitarist in the New York jazz scene. In 1992 he moved to Los Angeles to join The Tonight Show Band and in ‘95 he replaced Branford Marsalis as the leader and served in that role for 15 years. Eubanks left the showin 2010 and has since released three albums with Mack Avenue Records: Zen Food, The Messenger and Duets (with Stanley Jordan).
Stanley Jordan
In a career that took flight in 1985 with immediate commercial and critical acclaim, guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan has consistently displayed a chameleonic musical persona of openness, imagination, versatility, respect and maverick daring. Be it bold reinventions of classical masterpieces or soulful explorations through pop-rock hits, to blazing straight ahead jazz forays and ultramodern improvisational works—solo or with a group—Jordan can always be counted on to take listeners on breathless journeys into the unexpected.
This album contains no booklet.