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
OccupationMusician
InstrumentPiano
LabelsSignal, Blue Note, SteepleChase

Biography

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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

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As leader/co-leader

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Year recorded Title Label Notes
1954 Jordu Prestige Trio, with Gene Ramey (bass), Lee Abrams (drums); includes two 1949 tracks led by Don Lanphere (tenor sax)
1955 Jazz Laboratory Series, Vol. 1 Signal Some tracks trio, with Oscar Pettiford (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums); some tracks with Gigi Gryce (alto sax) overdubbed
1955 Duke Jordan Trio and Quintet Signal Some 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
1960 Flight to Jordan Blue Note Quintet, with Dizzy Reece (trumpet), Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax), Reggie Workman (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1962 Les Liaisons Dangereuses Charlie Parker One track trio, with Eddie Khan (bass), Art Taylor (drums); most tracks quintet, with Sonny Cohn (trumpet), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax) added
1962 East and West of Jazz Charlie Parker One 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
1973 Brooklyn Brothers Muse Quartet, with Cecil Payne (baritone sax, flute), Sam Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums)
1973 The Murray Hill Caper Spotlite Quartet, with Cecil Payne (baritone sax), David Williams (bass), Al Foster (drums)
1973 Flight to Denmark SteepleChase Trio, with Mads Vinding (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
1973 Two Loves SteepleChase Trio, with Mads Vinding (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
1973 Montmartre ´73 featuring Bent Jædig SteepleChase Quartet, with Bent Jædig (tenor sax), Allan Gregersen, Johnny Dyani, Eddie Gomez (bass), Jørn Elniff (drums)
1975 Truth SteepleChase Trio, with Mads Vinding (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
1975 Misty Thursday SteepleChase Quartet, with Chuck Wayne (guitar), Sam Jones (bass), Roy Haynes (drums)
1975 Duke's Delight SteepleChase One track solo; most tracks quintet, with Richard Williams (trumpet), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Sam Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums) added
1975 Lover Man SteepleChase Trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums)
1976 Live in Japan SteepleChase Trio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Roy Haynes (drums); in concert
1976 Osaka Concert Vol. 1 SteepleChase Trio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Roy Haynes (drums); in concert
1976 Osaka Concert Vol. 2 SteepleChase Trio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Roy Haynes (drums); in concert
1976 Flight to Japan SteepleChase Trio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Roy Haynes (drums)
1976 Flight to Norway SteepleChase Trio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Dannie Richmond (drums)
1978 Duke's Artistry SteepleChase Quartet, with Art Farmer (flugelhorn), David Friesen (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums)
1978 The Great Session SteepleChase Trio, with David Friesen (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums)
1978 Tivoli One SteepleChase Trio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Dannie Richmond (drums); in concert
1978 Tivoli Two SteepleChase Trio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Dannie Richmond (drums); in concert
1978 Wait and See SteepleChase Trio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Dannie Richmond (drums); in concert
1978–79 Thinking of You SteepleChase One track solo piano; most tracks trio, with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1979 Solo Masterpieces Vol. 1 SteepleChase Solo piano
1979 Midnight Moonlight SteepleChase Solo piano
1979 Solo Masterpieces Vol. 2 SteepleChase Solo piano
1979 Change a Pace SteepleChase Trio, with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1981 Art Pepper with Duke Jordan in Copenhagen 1981 Galaxy Quartet, with Art Pepper (alto sax, clarinet), David Williams (bass), Carl Burnett (drums); in concert
1982 So Nice Duke (Jor-Du) three blind mice Trio, with Jesper Lundgaard (bass), Aage Tanggaard (drums)
1983 Blue Duke Baystate Trio, with Harry Emmery, James Martin
1985 Time on My Hands SteepleChase Trio, with Jesper Lundgaard (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1985 As Time Goes By SteepleChase Trio, with Jesper Lundgaard (bass), Billy Hart (drums)
1987 Acoustic Live 3361 Black Trio, with Major Holley (bass), Jake Hanna (drums); in concert
1987 Live Live Live 3361 Black Trio, with Major Holley (bass), Jake Hanna (drums); in concert
1989 Kiss of Spain 3361 Black Trio, with Nobuyoshi Ino (bass), Masahiko Togashi (drums)
1990 Always Marshmallow Trio, with Jesper Lundgaard (bass), Ange Tanggaard (drums)
1991 White Key 3361 Black Quartet, with Yuka Kido (flute), Chikuhoh (shakuhachi), Hiroshi Yoshino (bass)
1994 Live in Paris Marshmallow Trio, with Luigi Trussardi (bass), Al Levitt (drums); in concert

Source:[5]

As sideman

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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

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  1. ^ a b c d e Weiner, Tim (2006-08-12). "Duke Jordan, 84, jazz pianist who helped build bebop". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  2. ^ Randy Weston and Willard Jenkins, African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston, Durham, N.C., Duke University Press, 2010, p. 25.
  3. ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 234/5. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
  4. ^ Charlie Parker on Dial: The Complete Sessions at AllMusic
  5. ^ "Duke Jordan Discography". jazzdisco.org. Retrieved January 23, 2019.