Steve Philip Jordan (January 15, 1919[1] – September 13, 1993)[2] was an American jazz guitarist.
Steve Jordan | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 15, 1919 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | September 13, 1993 (aged 74) Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist |
Career edit
Jordan was born in New York City.[1] He considered himself a rhythm guitarist whose biggest influences were George Van Eps and Allan Reuss.[3] He received lessons from Reuss, who played rhythm guitar for Benny Goodman[4] In the early 1940s Jordan was a member of bands led by Will Bradley, Artie Shaw, and Teddy Powell.[3] After serving with the Navy in World War II, he returned to music as a member of bands led by Bob Chester, Freddie Slack, Glen Gray, Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, and Boyd Raeburn.[3]
When jobs for rhythm guitarists disappeared as big bands dwindled, Jordan became a studio musician for NBC.[3][4] During the 1950s, he worked with Gene Krupa, Mel Powell, Vic Dickenson, Charles Thompson, Buck Clayton, Ruby Braff, and Benny Goodman.[3] In the 1960s, he earned a living as a tailor, but from 1965 to 1972 he performed routinely with Tommy Gwaltney at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C.[3] His last job as sideman was with DC area band leader/drummer Brooks Tegler where he played strictly rhythm guitar for eight years and recorded two CD's ("Keep Em Flying" and "And Not Only That!"),[5] with Tegler, in that capacity. He was offered a job replacing Freddie Green in the Count Basie Orchestra, but he rejected it because he said he was too old to tour again.[3][4] His memoir, Rhythm Man, was published in the early 1990s.[3][4] Here Comes Mr. Jordan was his only album as a leader.[3]
Discography edit
As leader edit
- Here Comes Mister Jordan (Fat Cat's Jazz, 1972)
As sideman edit
With Ruby Braff
- At Newport (Verve, 1958)
- Braff!! (Epic, 1956)
- Hi-Fi Salute to Bunny (RCA Victor, 1957)
With Buck Clayton
- How Hi the Fi (Columbia, 1954)
- Jumpin' at the Woodside (Columbia, 1955)
- All the Cats Join in (Columbia, 1956)
- Cat Meets Chick (Columbia, 1956)
- Buck Meets Ruby (Family, 1973)
- Just a Groove (Vanguard, 1973)
- Jam Sessions from the Vault (Columbia, 1988)
With others
- Wild Bill Davison, Lady of the Evening (Jazzology, 1985)
- Vic Dickenson, The Vic Dickenson Showcase (Vanguard, 1953)
- Vic Dickenson, Slidin' Swing (Jazztone, 1957)
- Jimmy Dorsey, The Fabulous Jimmy Dorsey (Fraternity, 1957)
- Ronnie Gilbert, In Hi-Fi: The Legend of Bessie Smith (RCA Victor, 1958)
- Glen Gray, The Uncollected 1943–1946 Vol. 2 (Hindsight, 1978)
- Benny Goodman, B.G. in Hi-Fi (Capitol, 1955)
- Tommy Gwaltney, This Is Blues Alley (Blues Alley 1966)
- Clancy Hayes, Mr. Hayes Goes to Washington (Clanco, 1972)
- Gene Krupa, Drum Boogie (Clef, 1956)
- Gene Krupa, The Exciting Gene Krupa (Verve, 1983)
- Mel Powell, Jam Session at Carnegie Hall (Columbia 1954)
- Boyd Raeburn, Boyd Meets Stravinski (Savoy, 1955)
- Jimmy Rushing, The Jazz Odyssey of Jimmy Rushing (Philips, 1957)
- Pee Wee Russell, Plays Pee Wee (Bell, 1961)
- Phil Silvers, Phil Silvers and Swinging Brass (Columbia, 1957)
- Buddy Tate, Buddy Tate and His Buddies (Chiaroscuro, 1973)
- Brooks Tegler, Keep Em Flying (Jazzology 1990) And Not Only That! (Big Mo 1995)
References edit
- ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1325. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ "Steve Philip Jordan; Jazz Guitarist, 74". The New York Times. September 16, 1993. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Yanow, Scott (2013). The Great Jazz Guitarists. San Francisco: Backbeat. pp. 104–105. ISBN 978-1-61713-023-6.
- ^ a b c d Yanow, Scott. "Steve Jordan". AllMusic. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ Tegler Tom Scanlan-'Rhythm Man'