Duke Jordan

Irving Sidney "Duke" Jordan (April 1, 1922 – August 8, 2006) was an American jazz pianist.[1]

Duke Jordan
Jordan (seated), in the Charlie Parker Quintet at the Three Deuces in 1947. (photo William P. Gottlieb)
Jordan (seated), in the Charlie Parker Quintet at the Three Deuces in 1947. (photo William P. Gottlieb)
Background information
Birth nameIrving Sidney Jordan
BornApril 1, 1922
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DiedAugust 8, 2006(2006-08-08) (aged 84)
Valby, Copenhagen, Denmark
GenresBebop
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Piano
LabelsSignal, Blue Note, SteepleChase

Biography

Jordan was born in New York[1] and raised in Brooklyn where he attended Boys High School.[2] An imaginative and gifted pianist, Jordan was a regular member of Charlie Parker's quintet during 1947–48, which also featured Miles Davis.[3] He participated in Parker's Dial sessions in late 1947 that produced "Dewey Square", "Bongo Bop", "Bird of Paradise", and the ballad "Embraceable You". These performances are featured on Charlie Parker on Dial.[4]

Jordan had a long solo career from the mid-1950s onwards, although for a period in the mid-1960s he drove a taxi in New York.[1] After periods accompanying Sonny Stitt and Stan Getz, he performed and recorded in the trio format. His composition, "Jordu", became a jazz standard when trumpeter Clifford Brown adopted it into his repertoire. Another of his compositions, "No Problem", has been recorded several times, notably by Art Blakey, under the title "No Hay Problema", and Chet Baker as well as others.

Beginning in 1978, he lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, having recorded an extensive sequence of albums for the SteepleChase label;[3] his first record date for the company was in 1973. He was reported not to have changed his style over the course of his career.[1]

From 1952 to 1962, he was married to the jazz singer Sheila Jordan.[3] Their union produced a daughter, Tracey J. Jordan. He died in Valby, Copenhagen.[1]

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Year recordedTitleLabelNotes
1954JorduPrestigeTrio, with Gene Ramey (bass), Lee Abrams (drums); includes two 1949 tracks led by Don Lanphere (tenor sax)
1955Jazz Laboratory Series, Vol. 1SignalSome tracks trio, with Oscar Pettiford (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums); some tracks with Gigi Gryce (alto sax) overdubbed
1955Duke Jordan Trio and QuintetSignalSome tracks trio, with Percy Heath (bass), Art Blakey (drums); one track quartet, with Cecil Payne (baritone sax) added; some tracks quintet, with Eddie Bert (trombone) added; reissued by Savoy as Flight to Jordan, but this is different from the 1960 Blue Note album
1960Flight to JordanBlue NoteQuintet, with Dizzy Reece (trumpet), Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax), Reggie Workman (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1962Les Liaisons DangereusesCharlie ParkerOne track trio, with Eddie Khan (bass), Art Taylor (drums); most tracks quintet, with Sonny Cohn (trumpet), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax) added
1962East and West of JazzCharlie ParkerOne track quartet, with Johnny Coles (trumpet), Wendell Marshall (bass) Walter Bolden (drums); most tracks quintet, with Cecil Payne (baritone sax) added; album shared with Sadik Hakim
1973Brooklyn BrothersMuseQuartet, with Cecil Payne (baritone sax, flute), Sam Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums)
1973The Murray Hill CaperSpotliteQuartet, with Cecil Payne (baritone sax), David Williams (bass), Al Foster (drums)
1973Flight to DenmarkSteepleChaseTrio, with Mads Vinding (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
1973Two LovesSteepleChaseTrio, with Mads Vinding (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
1973Montmartre ´73 featuring Bent JædigSteepleChaseQuartet, with Bent Jædig (tenor sax), Allan Gregersen, Johnny Dyani, Eddie Gomez (bass), Jørn Elniff (drums)
1975TruthSteepleChaseTrio, with Mads Vinding (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
1975Misty ThursdaySteepleChaseQuartet, with Chuck Wayne (guitar), Sam Jones (bass), Roy Haynes (drums)
1975Duke's DelightSteepleChaseOne track solo; most tracks quintet, with Richard Williams (trumpet), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Sam Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums) added
1975Lover ManSteepleChaseTrio, with Sam Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums)
1976Live in JapanSteepleChaseTrio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Roy Haynes (drums); in concert
1976Osaka Concert Vol. 1SteepleChaseTrio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Roy Haynes (drums); in concert
1976Osaka Concert Vol. 2SteepleChaseTrio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Roy Haynes (drums); in concert
1976Flight to JapanSteepleChaseTrio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Roy Haynes (drums)
1976Flight to NorwaySteepleChaseTrio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Dannie Richmond (drums)
1978Duke's ArtistrySteepleChaseQuartet, with Art Farmer (flugelhorn), David Friesen (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums)
1978The Great SessionSteepleChaseTrio, with David Friesen (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums)
1978Tivoli OneSteepleChaseTrio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Dannie Richmond (drums); in concert
1978Tivoli TwoSteepleChaseTrio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Dannie Richmond (drums); in concert
1978Wait and SeeSteepleChaseTrio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Dannie Richmond (drums); in concert
1978–79Thinking of YouSteepleChaseOne track solo piano; most tracks trio, with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1979Solo Masterpieces Vol. 1SteepleChaseSolo piano
1979Midnight MoonlightSteepleChaseSolo piano
1979Solo Masterpieces Vol. 2SteepleChaseSolo piano
1979Change a PaceSteepleChaseTrio, with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1981Art Pepper with Duke Jordan in Copenhagen 1981GalaxyQuartet, with Art Pepper (alto sax, clarinet), David Williams (bass), Carl Burnett (drums); in concert
1982So Nice Duke (Jor-Du)three blind miceTrio, with Jesper Lundgaard (bass), Aage Tanggaard (drums)
1983Blue DukeBaystateTrio, with Harry Emmery, James Martin
1985Time on My HandsSteepleChaseTrio, with Jesper Lundgaard (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1985As Time Goes BySteepleChaseTrio, with Jesper Lundgaard (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1987Acoustic Live3361 BlackTrio, with Major Holley (bass), Jake Hanna (drums); in concert
1987Live Live Live3361 BlackTrio, with Major Holley (bass), Jake Hanna (drums); in concert
1989Kiss of Spain3361 BlackTrio, with Nobuyoshi Ino (bass), Masahiko Togashi (drums)
1990AlwaysMarshmallowTrio, with Jesper Lundgaard (bass), Ange Tanggaard (drums)
1991White Key3361 BlackQuartet, with Yuka Kido (flute), Chikuhoh (shakuhachi), Hiroshi Yoshino (bass)
1994Live in ParisMarshmallowTrio, with Luigi Trussardi (bass), Al Levitt (drums); in concert

Source:[5]

As sideman

With Gene Ammons

With Ernestine Anderson

  • It's Time for Ernestine (Metronome (Swd))

With Chet Baker

With Paul Bascomb

  • Bad Bascomb (Delmark DL 431)

With Eddie Bert

  • Eddie Bert (Discovery DL 3024)
  • Eddie Bert Quintet (Discovery DL 3020)

With Art Blakey

With Tina Brooks

  • True Blue (Blue Note, 1960, BLP 4041, CDP 7243 8 28975-2)

With Kenny Burrell

  • Blue Lights Two volumes, (Blue Note 1958, BLP 1596 and BLP 1597)
  • Swingin' (Blue Note, 1956 [rel. 1980])

With Joe Carroll

  • Joe Carroll (Charlie Parker CP 201)

With Teddy Edwards

With Rolf Ericson

  • Rolf Ericson and his American All Stars (Metronome (Swd) JMLP 2–105, EmArcy MG 36106)

With Art Farmer

With Stan Getz

  • Duke Ellington 25th Anniversary Concert (FDC (It) 1005)
  • Getz Age (Roost RLP 2258)
  • Hooray for Stan Getz (Session Disc 108)
  • Move! (Natasha Imports 4005)
  • Sweetie Pie (Philology (It) W 40-2)
  • The Complete Roost Recordings (Roost CDP 7243 8 59622-2)
  • Stan Getz Plays (Norgran, 1952)
  • Stan Getz Quartet (Queen Disc (It) Q 013)
  • Live at Carnegie Hall (Fresh Sound (Sp) FSCD 1003)
  • Live at the Hi-Hat 1953, Vol. 1 (Fresh Sound (Sp) FSCD 1014)
  • Live at the Hi-Hat 1953, Vol. 2 (Fresh Sound (Sp) FSCD 1015)
  • That Top Tenor Technician Stan Getz (Alto AL 704)

With Gigi Gryce

With Coleman Hawkins

With Joe Holiday

  • Holiday for Jazz (Decca DL 8487)

With Howard McGhee

With Charles McPherson

With Barry Miles

  • Miles of Genius (Charlie Parker PLP 804)

With Sam Most

  • Mostly Flute (Xanadu 133)

With Charlie Parker

With Cecil Payne

  • Patterns of Jazz (Savoy, 1956)
  • Bird Gets The Worm (Muse, 1976)
  • Shaw 'Nuff (Charlie Parker PLP 506)
  • The Connection (Charlie Parker PLP 806)
  • Cecil Payne Performing Charlie Parker Music (Charlie Parker PLP 801)
  • Cecil Payne Quartet and Quintet (Signal S 1203)

With Oscar Pettiford

With Doug Raney

With Dizzy Reece

With Louis Smith

With Sonny Stitt

With Clark Terry

  • Live at the Wichita Jazz Festival (Vanguard 1974, VSD 79355)

With Doug Watkins

  • Watkins at Large (Transition TRLP 20)

With Julius Watkins

With Barney Wilen

  • Barney (RCA (F) 430053)
  • Un Temoin dans la Ville (Fontana (F) 660 226-MR)

With Teddy Williams

  • Touch of the Blues c/w Dumb Woman Blues (Prestige 715)

With The Birdlanders

  • The Birdlanders, Vol. 1 (Period SPL 1211)
  • The Birdlanders, Vol. 2 (Period SPL 1212)
  • The Birdlanders, Vol. 3 (Period SPL 1213)

Various

  • Various Artists Birds Night: A Night at the Five Spot (Signal S 1204) Savoy (1958) (Savoy Jazz 2 LPs Celebration of Music of Charlie Parker)
  • Various Artists International Jam Sessions (Xanadu 122)
  • Various Artists Lestorian Mode (Savoy MG 12105)
  • Various Artists The Piano Players (Xanadu 171)
  • Various Artists Birdology vols. 1&2 (Birdology, Verve 1990 CDs)

References