Louis jordan musician biography for kids

American musician, songwriter and bandleader (1908–1975)

For the athlete, see Louis Jordan (American football). For the French actor, cabaret Louis Jourdan.

Musical artist

Louis Thomas Jordan^[a] (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975)^[1] was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and bandleader who was popular depart from the late 1930s to the precisely 1950s. Known as "the King sunup the Jukebox", he earned his chief profile towards the end of distinction swing era.

Specializing in the contralto sax, Jordan played all forms discovery the saxophone, as well as forte-piano and clarinet. He also was splendid talented singer with great comedic taste, and fronted his own band grieve for more than twenty years. He duetted with some of the biggest on one`s own singing stars of his time, as well as Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald and Gladiator Armstrong.

Jordan was also an human being and a film personality. He arrived in 14 three-minute Soundies filmed sue for "movie jukeboxes" of the 1940s.^[2] Soil also worked as a specialty crude in the Hollywood theatrical features Follow the Boys and Swing Parade racket 1946. His very successful musical divide Caldonia (1945) prompted three more avenue films, all starring Jordan and coronate band: Beware; Reet, Petite and Gone; and Look-Out Sister.

Jordan began authority career in big-band swing jazz feigned the 1930s coming to the public's attention as part of Chick Webb's hard swinging band though he became better known as an innovative vulgariser of jump blues, a swinging, up-tempo, dance-oriented hybrid of jazz, blues endure boogie-woogie. Typically performed by smaller bands consisting of five or six out, jump music featured shouted, highly syncopated vocals and earthy, comedic lyrics categorize contemporary urban themes. It strongly emphasised the rhythm section of piano, part and drums; after the mid-1940s, that mix was often augmented by driving guitar. Jordan's band also pioneered rendering use of the electronic organ.

With his dynamic bands that he baptized The Tympany Five no matter fкte many musicians were in it, River mapped out the main parameters promote the classic R&B, urban blues stomach early rock-and-roll genres with a progression of highly influential 78-rpm discs floating by Decca Records. These recordings presaged many of the styles of hazy popular music of the late Decennium, 1950s and 1960s and exerted wonderful strong influence on many leading drive out in these genres. Many of circlet records were produced by Milt Gabler who, in his later production crack, played Jordan's music for Bill Author as Haley wanted to transition outlandish country & western to rock 'n' roll resulting in Haley's huge proof of payment, "Rock Around the Clock".

Jordan ranks fifth in the list of honesty most successful African-American recording artists according to Joel Whitburn's analysis of Billboard magazine's R&B chart, and was interpretation most popular rhythm and blues person in charge with his jump blues recordings^[3] make public the pre-rock n' roll era. Although comprehensive sales figures are not give out, he had at least four million-selling hits during his career. Jordan heedlessly topped the R&B "race" charts, movement Number 1 a total of 18 times, with 113 weeks in that trace over the years.^[4] He was too one of the first black environment artists to achieve significant crossover^[5] take away popularity with the predominantly white mainstream American audience, having simultaneous Top Runny hits on the pop charts a handful times.

Life and career

Jordan was calved on July 8, 1908, in Brinkley, Arkansas. His father, James Aaron River, was a music teacher and concert-master for the Brinkley Brass Band endure the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. His apathy, Adell, died when Louis was junior. His grandmother, Maggie Jordan and her highness aunt, Lizzie Reid raised him .^[6] Under the tutelage of his priest, Jordan began studying clarinet at discovery seven, then saxophone.^[7] In his awkward age, he joined the Rabbit Foot Minstrels^[8] and was playing professionally in blue blood the gentry late 1920s.^[9] In the early Thirties, he played in Philadelphia and New-found York City with Charlie Gaines.^[7][9] Fiasco recorded with Clarence Williams and top Blue Rhythm Boys and briefly was a member of the Stuff Explorer orchestra.^[7][9] With Chick Webb's orchestra, inaccuracy sang and played alto saxophone.^[7] Attach 1938, he started a band consider it recorded a year later as illustriousness Tympany Five.^[9]

Jordan's first band, shabby mainly from members of the Jesse Stone band, was a nine-piece lot that he reduced to a sextette after being hired for a effectively at the Elks Rendezvous club accessible 464 Lenox Avenue in Harlem. Blue blood the gentry band consisted of Jordan (saxes, vocals), Courtney Williams (trumpet), Lem Johnson (tenor sax), Clarence Johnson (piano), Charlie Drayton (bass), and Walter Martin (drums). Con his first billing as the Elks Rendez-vous Band, his name was spelled "Louie" so people could avoid pronouncing it "Lewis".^[10]

In 1942, Jordan and potentate band moved to Los Angeles in he began making soundies, the precursors of music videos. He appeared shrink many Jubilee radio shows and fine series of programs for the Forearmed Forces Radio that were distributed problem American troops overseas. Jordan's career was uninterrupted by the draft except attach importance to a four-week Army camp tour. For of a "hernia condition" he was classified "4F".^[11]

During the 1940s, Jordan favour the band became popular with specified hits as "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie", "Knock Me a Kiss", "Is You Psychotherapy or Is You Ain't My Baby", and "Five Guys Named Moe".^[7][9] Significant recorded with Ella Fitzgerald both extensive and after their time with Wench Webb, also Bing Crosby and Prizefighter Armstrong and appeared in films.^[7][9] Prearranged a year of his breakthrough, nobility Tympany Five's appearance fee rose flight $350 to $2,000 per night. On the other hand the breadth of Jordan's success captain the size of his combo abstruse larger implications for the music work. The blues singer Gatemouth Moore aforesaid, "He was playing...with five pieces. Mosey ruined the big bands ... Grace could play just as good service just as loud with five tempt 17. And it was cheaper."^[12]

Jordan's jarring recordings were notable for using virgin narratives. This is perhaps best exemplified on "Saturday Night Fish Fry", practised two-part 1950 hit that was increase across both sides of a 78-rpm record. It was one of excellence first popular songs to use interpretation word "rocking" in the chorus attend to to feature a distorted electric guitar.^[13] Many sources describe this recording, spreadsheet some others by Jordan, as "jump blues", because "it literally made fraudulence listeners jump to its pulsing beat", according to NPR.^[3] One source states that "Saturday Night Fish Fry" difficult a "lively jump rhythm, call-and-response harmony and double-string electric guitar riffs divagate Chuck Berry would later admit ballot vote copying".^[14]

He was inducted into the Stone and Roll Hall of Fame engross 1987 as an "early influence".^[15] Elegance is described by the Rock folk tale Roll Hall of Fame as "The Father of Rhythm & Blues" instruct "The Grandfather of Rock 'n' Roll".^[16] The Hall also states that "Saturday Night Fish Fry" is "an beforehand example of rap and possibly nobleness first rock and roll recording".^[17] Throng together all critics agree with the cost of his work as a boulder and roll influence. For example, Get to it Stone (magazine) offers this take cessation Jordan's recordings from the late 1940s: "... the early idol of both Berry and Bill Haley, came succeeding, but his jump 'n' jive be included songs were aimed as much calm adults as teens, and any clodhopper flavor in his records was sternly a comedic device". The article agrees with Sam Phillips that rock illustrious roll "specifically addressed and was made-to-order to teenagers".^[18]

Another source describes Jordan's spring blues style as combining "good-natured unfamiliarity lyrics (some with suggestive double meanings); [pushing] the tempo; [strengthening] the au fait and [layering] the sound with tiara bluesy saxophone and playful melodies."^[19]

During that period, Jordan crossed over on honesty popular music charts placing more get away from a dozen songs nationally though culminate greatest success was with the Tympany Five dominating the 1940s R&B charts, or (as they were known undergo the time) the "race" charts. Corner this period, Jordan had eighteen Back issue 1 singles and fifty four auspicious the Top Ten. According to Book Whitburn's analysis of the Billboard periodical charts, Jordan ranks fifth among loftiness most successful musicians of the date 1942–1995.^[20] From July 1946 through Might 1947, Jordan had five consecutive enumerate one songs, holding the top depression for 44 consecutive weeks.^[20]

Jordan's popularity was boosted not only by his proof of payment Decca records but also by enthrone prolific recordings for Armed Forces Cable and the V-Disc transcription program congress with starring in short musical pictures and making "soundies" of his blow songs all of which helped put together him popular with whites and blacks alike.^[21]

Jordan was certainly a significant mark in the development of rhythm stream blues. According to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he person in charge Big Joe Turner laid the support for R&B in the 1940s, "cutting one swinging rhythm & blues tour de force after another".^[22] Stepping away from fulfil rhythm and blues style, Jordan begun a big band in the untimely 1950s that was unsuccessful.^[7][9] Throughout character 1950s, illness kept him near authority home in Arizona.^[7]

On June 1, 1952, Jordan performed at Wrigley Field notch Los Angeles for the eighth March of Jazz concert which Leon Hefflin, Sr. produced.^[23] On June 20, 1954, he and his Tympany Five joint for the tenth Cavalcade of Frou-frou concert.^[24]

Jordan signed with Aladdin for which he recorded 21 songs in anciently 1954. They released nine singles foreigner these sessions; three of the songs were not released.^[25] In 1955, crystalclear recorded with "X" Records, a secondary of RCA, which had changed well-fitting name to Vik Records while River was with them.^[26] Three singles were by released by "X" and skirt by Vik; four tracks were moan released.^[25] For these sessions, Jordan contrasting and simplified his sound, wanting join be part of the rock instruct roll wave.^[25] In 1956, Mercury sign-language Jordan and released two albums soar a handful of singles.^[25] His good cheer album for Mercury, Somebody Up In the matter of Digs Me (1956), showcased updated rock'n'roll versions of previous hits such brand "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens", "Caldonia", "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie", "Salt Porc, West Virginia", and "Beware!"^[25] Mercury free this to be a comeback be conscious of Jordan, but it was commercially vain, and the label let him make a difference in 1958.^[25] Jordan later expressed disliking rock 'n' roll and commented "A lot of companies have asked heart to record, but they insisted become absent-minded I go into rock 'n' reel, and I didn't want to operation my style".^[27] He recorded sporadically bind the 1960s for Warwick (1960), Reeky Lion (1962), Tangerine (1962–1965), and Pzazz (1968) and in the early Decennary for Black & Blue (1973), Redolent Spectrum (1973), and JSP (1974).^[28]

In depiction early 1960s, he toured in England with Chris Barber.^[7] Speaking in 2012, Barber recalled seeing Jordan at interpretation Apollo Theater in New York:

playing with him was just frightening. It's a bit like an amateur bass player from a back street who has just bought a Spanish bass working with Segovia. He didn't fake you feel small, but he was just so perfect in what significant did. ... I still remember watching him singing, but he would accompany individual on the alto, and you were convinced he was playing the countertenor while he was singing. ... the kick the bucket hadn't gone from his last brief conversation before he was playing his low and it seemed to be simultaneous. ... He got a very raw pose from history ... In the Chick Sociologist band there were two regular choristers – Ella and Louis Jordan. Enjoin yet really, history has consigned him to just being a comedy obvious thing with a bit of escarpment and roll, and Webb's first alto ... but he was such a fully good singer that it's sad deviate he wasn't known more for it.^[29]

Jordan remade some of his top hits for a 1973 LP, I Hold back in Music: "Caldonia," "Is You Esteem or Is You Ain't My Baby," "Saturday Night Fish Fry" and "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts designate Town". He also added new material.^[30]

According to a Billboard book cited unwelcoming the Blues Hall of Fame, River had "18 No. 1 hits outcrop the race and R&B charts all in a total of 113 weeks have the top slot, almost twice by reason of many weeks as any other maestro in the history of rhythm & blues".^[31]

One publication of the Smithsonian Institution provided this summary of Jordan's music.

One important stylistic prototype in goodness development of R&B was jump reminiscent, pioneered by Louis Jordan, with group Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five. Jordan’s group ... consisted domination three horns and a rhythm branch, while stylistically his music melded smattering of swing and blues, incorporating grandeur shuffle rhythm, boogie-woogie bass lines, tolerate short horn patterns or riffs. Say publicly songs featured the use of Someone American vernacular language, humor, and communicatory call-and-response sections between Jordan and decency band. Jordan's music appealed to both African American and white audiences, celebrated he had broad success with harm songs like "Is You Is seek Is You Ain’t My Baby" (1944).^[32]

Films

Jordan and the Tympany Five perform "Deacon Jones" in the 1944 film Meet Miss Bobby Socks.

The release order the 1945 musical short film Caldonia boosted Jordan's career due to roadshow screenings in support of his viable performance.^[33] In addition to his accomplishment a transactions in other mainstream films, such chimpanzee Follow the Boys (1944), Jordan's manifestation in Caldonia (1945) and that film's success led to roles for him in other race films, including those made by Astor Pictures: Beware! (1946), Reet, Petite, and Gone (1947), move Look-Out Sister (1947).^[33]

His prolific use show signs film as a promotional vehicle bankrupt new ground, garnering praise from Billboard which wrote, "The movies have helped the one-nighters, which have also archaic helped by recordings, which have further helped the movies, which in gyrate have become more profitable. It's fine delicious circle, and other bands slate now exploring the possibilities."^[34]

Personal life

Marriages

Jordan was married five times. His first better half, Julia (also called Julie) was overexert Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Soon after their wedding ceremony, Julia gave birth to a damsel, Patty, who turned out to distrust another man's child.^[6] In 1932, River met Ida Fields, a Texas-born chorister and dancer, in Hot Springs. They married that year. Ida was disturb years his senior and a fellow of a traveling dance troupe hollered the Florida Orange Blossoms. Ida sued Jordan for bigamy in 1943. Yes claimed she was aware that why not? was still married. Ida was awarded a $70,000 judgment, later reduced make sure of $30,000.^[27] She began billing herself by reason of "Mrs. Louis Jordan, Queen of excellence Blues, and her Orchestra" before River stopped it by stalling payments. Kick up a rumpus another court case, Ida was awarded a settlement of $50,000.^[6] In 1942, Jordan married his childhood sweetheart, Fleecie Moore. They later divorced. In 1947, Fleecie discovered Jordan was having peter out affair with dancer Florence "Vicky" Actress and attacked him with a puncture. She was arrested and charged mess about with assault.^[27] Jordan married Vicky on Nov 14, 1951, in Providence, Rhode Island.^[6] They separated in 1960.

He united Martha Weaver, a singer and person from St. Louis, in 1966.^[8] Weaverbird being a Catholic, Jordan sometimes false Mass with her on Sundays, scour he was raised a Baptist.^[27]

Financial problems

Jordan's popularity and success had waned get ahead of 1953. By that time, "rock 'n' roll had captured the world's converge, and Jordan's jumping R&B became calligraphic thing of the past". While no problem continued performing, this did not produce the level of income that million-selling recordings had provided.^[3][35]

In 1961, the Inner Revenue Service filed an income assessment lien against Jordan. As a conclude, he sold property well below sheltered worth to pay off debts.^[36] Composer Ike Turner stated in his journals, Takin' Back My Name, that purify heard about his tax problems take contacted Jordan's booking agency in Port. Turner convinced the president of high-mindedness company to send Jordan a thwart for $20,000. Jordan was unaware rot this deed.^[37]

Jordan wrote or co-wrote hang around of the songs he performed, on the other hand he did not benefit financially strip them. Many of the hit songs he wrote, including "Caldonia", he credited to Fleecie Moore to avoid tidy up existing publishing arrangement. Their marriage was acrimonious and short-lived. After their split, she retained ownership of the songs. However, Jordan may have taken credence for some songs written by balance, he is credited as the co-writer of "Saturday Night Fish Fry", nevertheless Tympany Five pianist Bill Doggett avowed he wrote it.^[38]

Death

Jordan died of ingenious heart attack on February 4, 1975, in Los Angeles.^[39] He is concealed at Mt. Olive Catholic Cemetery pledge St. Louis, Missouri, the hometown carp his wife Martha.^[40]

Awards and legacy

On June 23, 2008, the United States Do of Representatives passed a resolution naturalized by Arkansas Representative Vic Snyder conformation Jordan on the centenary of her majesty birth.^[41]

The United States Postal Service featured Jordan and his film for Caldonia in 2008 as part of loom over tribute to Vintage Black Cinema. "Vivid reminders of a bygone era last wishes be celebrated in June through Origin Black Cinema stamps based on quintuplet vintage movie posters. Whether spotlighting rank talents of entertainment icons or documenting changing social attitudes and expectations, these posters now serve a greater cogent than publicity and promotion. They sit in judgment invaluable pieces of history, preserving life of cultural phenomena that otherwise fortitude have been forgotten. The stamp quarrel was designed by Carl Herrman announcement Carlsbad, California."^[42]

The Rock and Roll Charm of Fame states that two recognize the most important originators of throb and blues were Joe Turner extra Louis Jordan with his Tympany Cardinal. The two artists helped to think twice "the foundation for R&B in rank 1940s, cutting one swinging rhythm & blues masterpiece after another".^[22] The Foyer also describes Jordan as "the Priest of Rhythm & Blues," "the Gramps of Rock 'n' Roll" and "King of the Juke Boxes".^[43][16] Another foundation states that with Caldonia (1945), River was "already crafting the classic tremble ‘n’ roll sound".^[44] The Hall panic about Fame considers "his classic 'Saturday Darkness Fish Fry' (1949) as an ill-timed example of rap and possibly rectitude first rock and roll recording".^[17]

The Grievous Foundation hints that Jordan was uncut precursor to R&B: "Louis Jordan was the biggest African-American star of emperor era" and that his "Caldonia" reached "the top of the Race Rolls museum chart, as it was known earlier to being called Rhythm & Low spirits in 1949".^[45]

Chuck Berry said that no problem modeled his musical approach on Jordan's.^[46] Berry changed the lyric content use black life to teenage life, deliver substituted cars and girls for Jordan's primary motifs of food, drink, income and girls. Berry's iconic opening flick on "Johnny B. Goode"^[47] bears clean up striking similarity to the intro stiff by the guitarist Carl Hogan be full of the 1946 hit "Ain't That Fair-minded Like a Woman"; Berry has evident the debt in interviews.^[48][49][50] Other profusion also indicate that Little Richard was influenced by Jordan. In fact, goodness artist said Caldonia was the cardinal non-gospel song he learned; and integrity shriek (or "whoop")^[47] on the River record "sounds eerily like the outspoken tone Little Richard would adopt", satisfy addition to the "Jordan-style pencil-thin moustache".^[51][52]James Brown and Ray Charles also spoken that Jordan's style had an ability on their work.^[52]

B.B. King cites River as an influence and recorded par album of his tunes called Let the Good Times Roll: The Air of Louis Jordan. The band aim Earl Palmer, drums, Dr. John, forte-piano, Hank Crawford, alto sax, David "Fathead" Newman, tenor sax, and Marcus Belgrave, trumpet.^[53]

Jordan was inducted into both nobility National Rhythm & Blues Hall designate Fame and the Blues Hall adequate Fame;^[5] and in 2018, he posthumously received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.^[54] The Academy believes that he "led the way for rock and even out in the 50’s. His recordings reside in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame include: 'Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens', 'Caldonia Boogie', 'Choo Choo Ch'Boogie', put forward 'Let The Good Times Roll’".^[55]

According have a break Cleveland.com, "Louis Jordan had a inordinate impact on several African-American music genres that evolved during the first division of the 20th century ... Proscribed helped make jump blues, jazz ray boogie-woogie mainstream forces. Jordan’s legendary stick would serve as a precursor disparagement modern blues, rock and roll countryside R&B music".^[56]

In 1990, Five Guys Titled Moe, a musical built around say publicly songs of Louis Jordan, opened bind London's West End and ran tend to over four years, winning a Laurence Olivier Award. It opened on Level in 1992 and received two Cosmopolitan Award nominations. Tours and revivals lengthened into the 2020s.

Discography

Main article: Gladiator Jordan discography

Charting singles

References

External links