Stanley Jordan‘s latest release, ‘Friends’, has been nominated in the category of “Outstanding Jazz Album” at the 2012 NAACP Image Awards.

Released in 2011, ‘Friends’ offers a reflection of the music that inspired the album’s long list distinguished guest artists that includes: Charlie Hunter, Regina Carter, Kenny Garrett, Ronnie Laws, Christian McBride, and many others.

The album is truly an eclectic mix of tunes, featuring everything from Jazz standards like ‘Lil Darlin’ and ‘Giant Steps’, to contemporary pop hits like ‘I Kissed a Girl’, a song pop-star Katy Perry took to the top of the Billboard chart in 2008.

Speaking about the album late last year, Jordan said: “I am so humbled and grateful to all of the wonderful musicians who graced this project. This collection truly speaks to my belief in the integrationist spirit of music. I’d like to move beyond ‘fusion’ and explore the concept of ‘integration.’
“When you integrate styles, you combine them into something new while still remaining true to the original sources. The same principal holds for our friendships, which require mutual respect. Our friends are a mirror revealing the diversity within us, and at the same time they give us the courage to share our true selves with the world.”

The NAACP Image Awards, currently in its 43rd year, aim to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music and literature. The award ceremony will air live on Friday, February 17 at 8pm/7c on NBC.

Watch Stanley Jordan perform ‘I Kissed a Girl’ below: