Known for his delicate sound as much as for his trademark right-hand tapping technique, guitarist Stanley Jordan has nonetheless pushed hard against being pigeonholed throughout his 25-year career. Jordan will probably always be regarded by the general public as a virtuosic smooth-jazz guitarist, but watching him with his trio helps provide a broader context for his strong exploratory drive. Jordan has in a sense been penalized for pulling off what so few virtuoso-level players do, which is translate prodigious skills into listenable music – while still highlighting those skills. He has applied said skills to classical, pop, Brazilian, Indian, and other styles, but his latest album, State of Nature, actually uses disharmony as a starting point. A plea for humankind to re-align with the natural world, the album also sees Jordan return to his piano roots. But don’t worry – he still does the double-fisting, two-guitars-at-once thing during the show. After all these years, it still hasn’t gotten old. All ages.

Thu., Aug. 27, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m.; Fri., Aug. 28, 8 & 10 p.m.; Sat., Aug. 29, 8 & 10 p.m.; Sun., Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m., 2009