| Genres: |
Blues,
Jazz,
Pop / Rock
|
| Descriptive "tags": |
jazz, swing, rhythm and blues, blues, saxophone
|
| Decades Active: |
1950s,
1960s,
1970s,
1980s,
1990s,
2000s
|
Biography
Louis Thomas Jordan, 8 July 1908, Brinkley, Arkansas, USA, d. 4 February 1975, Los Angeles, California, USA. This highly popular saxophonist and singer began touring as a teenager with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, and supported classic blues singers Ma Rainey, Ida Cox and Bessie Smith. In the 30s, after relocating to New York City, he played in the bands of Louis Armstrong, Clarence Williams, Chick Webb and Ella Fitzgerald, appearing with these orchestras on records for RCA - Victor Records, Vocalion Records and Decca Records, and making his vocal debut with Webb’s band on novelty songs such as ‘Gee, But You’re Swell’ and ‘Rusty Hinge’. In 1938 Jordan formed his first combo, the Elks Rendezvous Band (after the club at which he had secured a residency), and signed an exclusive recording contract with Decca. While he had been with Webb, he had often been brought to the front to perform a blues or novelty swing number. These spots had been...
Read the Full Biography of Louis Jordan
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