(Mack Avenue)

Long past the years as a musical wunderkind, guitarist Stanley Jordan is still very much a solid practitioner of his craft. On Friends, he’s joined by a host of incredible talents, including saxophonist Kenny Garrett and Ronnie Laws, guitarists Russell Malone, Charlie Hunter, Russell Malone, Bucky Pizzarelli and Mike Stern, violinist Regina Carter, trumpeter Nicholas Payton and bassists Christian McBride and Charnett Moffitt, among many others. The musical set ranges from classical to jazz standards and pop, covering the gamut from Chopin to Katy Perry. Jordan is heard here in familiar guitar voicings and the blend of his sound with aforementioned talents produces a fantastically-entertaining result.