In a career that took flight in 1985 with commercial and critical acclaim, guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan has consistently displayed a chameleonic musical persona of openness, imagination, versatility, 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, Jordan can always be counted on to take listeners on breathless journeys into the unexpected – like playing the music of the Grateful Dead.

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 four-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 will not be surprised. He 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.

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 vible variations on the music of the Grateful Dead."

"We're expanding the harmonic structure and adding more jazz elements,” said Stanley, “while preserving the original feel and flavor of the music. And most importantly, we're keeping the trippy vibe-maybe even deepening it."