Steve Jordan (born January 14, 1957) is an American musical director, producer, songwriter, and musician. During the 1970s and 1980s, he was a member of the bands for the television shows ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' and ''
Late Night with David Letterman
''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production compa ...
''.
In the early 1980s, Jordan was a member of the band "
Eye Witness", along with
Anthony Jackson on bass, and
Manolo Badrena
Manolo Badrena (born March 17, 1952, in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a percussionist most noted for his work with Weather Report from 1976 to 1977. He has made contributions to over 100 recordings that span jazz, world music, pop, and Latin music. B ...
on percussion. Since the mid 1980s, Jordan has also been a member of the
X-Pensive Winos, the side project of
Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
guitarist
Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...
. Jordan and Richards have been production and songwriting partners on many of Richards's solo works. In 2005, he became a member of the
John Mayer Trio
The John Mayer Trio is a blues rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2005. Comprising singer-songwriter and guitarist John Mayer, bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan, the band has released one live album, ''Try!'' in 2005 ...
.
Jordan also formed the band "The Verbs", which he fronts, with his wife Meegan Voss.
On August 5, 2021, it was reported that Charlie Watts had elected to sit out the resumption of the US
No Filter Tour
The No Filter Tour was a European/North American concert tour by the Rolling Stones which began on 9 September 2017 in Hamburg, Germany. The tour was scheduled to conclude in 2020 but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour ...
due to a heart procedure surgery and that Jordan would temporarily replace him on drums. Following Watts' death, he has played with the Stones both live and in studio.
Early years
Jordan attended New York City's
High School of Music and Art, graduating in 1974.
Jordan was a teenager when he became an honorary member of
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
’s band "
WonderLove
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, so ...
". He also was a substitute drummer in the band "
Stuff
Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to:
*Physical matter
*General, unspecific things, or entities
Arts, media, and entertainment
Books
*''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly
*''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jeremy Strong
Fictional cha ...
" in 1976 and played with
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...
on his American tour. Later, he played drums for the ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' band in the 1970s. When
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known for being one of the seven original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Throughout his c ...
and
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
toured as
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ''Saturday Night Live''. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, respecti ...
in the late 1970s, Jordan was their drummer, and recorded on their resulting albums, credited as Steve "Getdwa" Jordan. He did not, however, appear in the movie of the same name. Jordan also played in the New York "24th Street Band" with
Will Lee
William Lee (born William Lubovsky; August 6, 1908 – December 7, 1982) was an American actor who appeared in numerous television and film roles, but was best known for playing Mr. Hooper, the original store proprietor of the eponymous Hoope ...
,
Clifford Carter, and
Hiram Bullock which later became
Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band
Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band is an American musical ensemble led by Paul Shaffer. It was David Letterman's house band for 33 years.
The band formed in 1982 to serve as house band for NBC's ''Late Night with David Letterman'' ...
, which played on ''
Late Night with David Letterman
''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production compa ...
'' from 1982 to 1986.
X-Pensive Winos and Chuck Berry
Jordan, along with fellow Shaffer alumnus
Anton Fig
Anton Fig (born 8 August 1952 in Cape Town, South Africa), known as "The Thunder from Down Under", is a South African session drummer, perhaps best known as the drummer and second-in-command for Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band ...
, appeared on
the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...
' 1986 release ''
Dirty Work'', playing percussion, not drums, contrary to rumors.
Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...
then hired Jordan to play on
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in '' Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Wit ...
's
cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of copy ...
of "
Jumpin' Jack Flash
"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as a non-album single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, the song was perceived by some as t ...
" for a
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
of the same name.
According to Richards, Jordan kept asking Richards on the plane ride home from the recording session with Franklin in Detroit, to be included in the upcoming documentary by
Taylor Hackford
Taylor Edwin Hackford (born December 31, 1944) is an American film director and former president of the Directors Guild of America. He won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for '' Teenage Father'' (1979). Hackford went on to direct ...
''
Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll
''Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll'' is a 1987 documentary film directed by Taylor Hackford that chronicles two 1986 concerts celebrating rock and roll musician Chuck Berry's 60th birthday. A soundtrack album was released in October 1987 on the MCA lab ...
'', a tribute to
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...
. Richards had been hoping to include
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who achieved international fame as the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021.
Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an i ...
in the project but when this proved unfeasible, Jordan was hired and he appeared in many scenes with Berry and Richards.
[Keith Richards interview, ''Rolling Stone'', October 6, 1988] The success of this project led to Jordan's membership in
Keith Richards and the X-pensive Winos, a band that toured and recorded three albums, ''
Talk is Cheap'' (1988), ''
Main Offender'' (1992), and ''
Crosseyed Heart
''Crosseyed Heart'' is the third solo album by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. Released on 18 September 2015, it is Richards' first studio album in 23 years since ''Main Offender''. As with his first two albums, it was recorded with his ...
'' (2015). Jordan co-produced all three albums and is credited with songwriting, along with Richards. One of these collaborations made it onto the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 via the Rolling Stones ''
Steel Wheels'' album version in 1989: "
Almost Hear You Sigh" peaked at number 50 (U.S.) and 31 (U.K.) in December of that year.
The Verbs
Jordan formed a band with his wife,
Meegan Voss, who fronted the all-girl punk bands the PopTarts and the Antoinettes, and they have toured and recorded under the band name the Verbs. They toured Japan in 2007 in support of their first release, ''And Now... The Verbs''. They followed their debut album with ''Trip'', the next release by Jordan and Voss. As in their previous release, this album features
Tamio Okuda
is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and producer. He started his career in 1986 as a member of the band Unicorn. After Unicorn broke up, Okuda moved on to a solo career in 1994 with the single "Ai no Tame ni". He has written and composed many song ...
on lead guitars, Pino Palladino on bass and additional classic guitar work by
Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar.
Producing and performance career
Jordan has recorded with such artists as
Don Henley
Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as " Witchy Woman", "Des ...
,
John Mellencamp
John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumen ...
,
Andrés Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro (Andrés Calamaro Massel, August 22, 1961) is an Argentine musician, composer and Latin Grammy winner. He is considered one of the greatest and most influential rock artists in Spanish. He is also one of the most complete artist ...
,
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, later i ...
,
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
,
Sonny Rollins
Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a ...
,
B.B. King,
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist.
After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...
,
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three ...
,
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...
,
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion,
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of '' American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her de ...
, and many more. He is featured on
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...
's 1998 DVD, ''
Live at the Beacon Theatre''.
Jordan is a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
-winning and nominated producer with
Robert Cray
Robert William Cray (born August 1, 1953) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He has led his own band and won five Grammy Awards.
Early life
Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, while his father was statione ...
's album ''
Take Your Shoes Off'' and
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaugh ...
's ''
Bring 'Em In'', respectively. He has played on
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
' "
If I Ain't Got You
"If I Ain't Got You" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys for her second studio album ''The Diary of Alicia Keys'' (2003). Inspired by the 2001 death of singer Aaliyah, the September 11 attacks, and other events in the ...
" and
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
's ''
Devils and Dust'', and he produced the Grammy Award-winning
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 wit ...
album ''
Continuum'' (2006),
John Scofield
John Scofield (born December 26, 1951), sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention in th ...
's ''That's What I Say'', ''
Possibilities'' by
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he hel ...
, and ''
23rd St. Lullaby'' and ''
Play It As It Lays'' with
Patti Scialfa
Vivienne Patricia Scialfa ( ; born July 29, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Scialfa has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 and has been married to Bruce Springsteen since 1991. In 2014, Scialfa was inducted into ...
.
Jordan is interviewed on screen, was a musical director, led the house band and appears in performance footage in the 2005 documentary film ''
Make It Funky!'', which presents a history of
New Orleans music and its influence on
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
,
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...
,
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mi ...
and
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
.
In 2006, Jordan joined
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...
's touring band for Clapton's "European Tour 2006", which included seven sold-out shows at the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
. He continued in Clapton's band as they toured North America in 2007.
In 2008, Jordan produced and played percussion on one track for
Los Lonely Boys
Los Lonely Boys are an American musical group from San Angelo, Texas. They play a style of music they call "Texican Rock n' Roll," combining elements of rock and roll, Texas blues, brown-eyed soul, country, and Tejano.
The band consists of ...
' third album, ''
Forgiven'', at East Side Stages in Austin, Texas.
In 2009, Jordan received another Grammy Award nomination - the
, for his work on the soundtrack scoring film for the movie ''
Cadillac Records''.
In 2013, Jordan produced the
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. An early bandmate of Steve Miller in The Ardells and the Steve Miller Band, he began his solo career in 1969, though he lacked a major hit until ...
album ''
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
''.
John Mayer Trio
Jordan is a member of the
John Mayer Trio
The John Mayer Trio is a blues rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2005. Comprising singer-songwriter and guitarist John Mayer, bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan, the band has released one live album, ''Try!'' in 2005 ...
, a
blues rock
Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...
power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format having a lineup of electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit (drums and cymbals), leaving out a second rhythm guitar or keyboard instrument that are often used in other rock music bands that are quart ...
that consists of Jordan, on drums and backing vocals, bassist
Pino Palladino
Giuseppe Henry "Pino" Palladino (born 17 October 1957) is a Welsh musician, songwriter, and record producer. A prolific session bassist, he has played bass for acts such as The Who, the John Mayer Trio, Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan, Jeff Beck ...
and guitarist-singer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 wit ...
. The group was formed in 2005 by Mayer as a deviation from his pop-acoustic career. The trio released the record ''
Try!
''Try!'' is the first live album by the John Mayer Trio. It was recorded at the House of Blues, Chicago, Illinois and released by Columbia Records on November 22, 2005. The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards ...
'' on November 22, 2005. The 11-track live album includes cover songs, such as
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
's "
Wait Until Tomorrow", and "
I Got a Woman" by
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
, two songs from Mayer's release ''
Heavier Things'', as well as new songs written by Mayer, in addition to three songs written by Jordan, Mayer, and Palladino. They are: "Good Love Is On the Way", "Vultures" and "Try". Jordan and Mayer also produced the album together on the
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...
label.
The trio also performed on December 8, 2007, in Los Angeles, California at the L.A. Live Nokia Theatre for the 1st Annual Holiday Charity Revue, which raised funds for various Los Angeles related charities. The DVD/CD release, entitled ''
Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles'' features Palladino on bass and Jordan on drums.
Jordan would later collaborate with Mayer and
Charlie Hunter
Charlie Hunter (born May 23, 1967) is an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. First coming to prominence in the early 1990s, Hunter plays custom-made seven- and eight-string guitars on which he simultaneously plays bass lines, chords, a ...
by writing "In Repair", the 11th track from Mayer's 2006 album ''
Continuum''. Jordan also contributed to Mayer's fourth album, ''
Battle Studies
''Battle Studies'' is a book by Ardant du Picq, a colonel in the French Army who was killed in 1870 in the Franco-Prussian War. The work was never completed, but Du Picq had written many chapters completely and left sufficient notes behind to co ...
''; videos of the conceptual/recording sessions can be viewed on YouTube.
Super Soul Band
Jordan also belongs to an all-star funk group, that "is redefining the idea of a supergroup." The band consists of Jordan on the drums, Wayne Cobham,
Eddie Allen,
Clifton Anderson
Clifton Elliot Anderson (born October 5, 1957) is an American jazz trombonist.
Early life
Anderson was born in New York City on October 5, 1957. "His mother was a singer and his father was an organist." When he was seven, Anderson's uncle, saxop ...
, and
Clark Gayton
Clark Gayton is an American multi-instrumentalist, musician, composer and musicians' rights advocate.
Biography
Born as Carver Clark Gayton Jr. to Carver Clark Gayton and Mona Marie Lombard, Clark Gayton is a professional musician (trombone, ...
on the horn section.
Willie Weeks
Willie Weeks (born August 5, 1947) is an American bass guitarist. He has gained fame performing with famous musicians in a wide variety of genres. He has been one of the most in-demand session musicians throughout his career. Weeks has also ...
on bass,
Mix Master Mike, Isaiah Sharkey, and
Ray Parker Jr. on guitar.
The Rolling Stones
On August 5, 2021, it was announced that Jordan would replace Rolling Stones drummer
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who achieved international fame as the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021.
Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an i ...
on the Stones' 13-date US tour. Watts was first sidelined for health problems and died on August 24, 2021, at the age of 80 after a short illness. Richards recounted in
his 2010 autobiography that in the 1980s Watts told him that if he ever wanted to work with another drummer, "Steve Jordan’s your man."
Discography
With
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ''Saturday Night Live''. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, respecti ...
* ''
Briefcase Full of Blues
''Briefcase Full of Blues'' is the debut album by The Blues Brothers, released on November 28, 1978, by Atlantic Records. It was recorded live on September 9, 1978, at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, when the band opened for comedian S ...
'', 1978
* ''
Made in America'', 1980
* ''
Best of the Blues Brothers
''Best of the Blues Brothers'' is the fourth and final Blues Brothers album released before John Belushi's death in 1982. It is the first compilation album by the band and it was released by Atlantic Records on November 30, 1981. Along with track ...
'', 1981
* ''
Dancin' Wid Da Blues Brothers'', 1983
* ''Everybody Needs the Blues Brothers'', 1988
* ''The Definitive Collection'', 1992
* ''
The Very Best of The Blues Brothers
''The Very Best of The Blues Brothers'' is a 1995 greatest hits album by The Blues Brothers. It is one of several compilations of the band's recordings, following ''Best of The Blues Brothers'' (1981) and '' Dancin' wid da Blues Brothers'' (1983) ...
'', 1995
* ''The Blues Brothers Complete'', 2000
* ''The Essentials'', 2003
As sideman
With
Casey Abrams
Casey Abrams (born February 12, 1991) is an American musician from Idyllwild, California, who finished in sixth place in the 10th season of ''American Idol,'' five weeks after being saved from elimination by the judges. A self-titled debut al ...
* ''
Casey Abrams
Casey Abrams (born February 12, 1991) is an American musician from Idyllwild, California, who finished in sixth place in the 10th season of ''American Idol,'' five weeks after being saved from elimination by the judges. A self-titled debut al ...
'' (Concord, 2012)
With
Patti Austin
Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter.
Music career
Austin was born in Harlem, New York, to Gordon Austin, a jazz trombonist. She was raised in Bay Shore, New York on Long Island. Quincy ...
* ''
Havana Candy'' (CTI, 1977)
With
George Benson
George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist.
A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...
* ''
In Your Eyes
IN, In or in may refer to:
Places
* India (country code IN)
* Indiana, United States (postal code IN)
* Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN)
* In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Businesses and organizations
* Independ ...
'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1983)
With
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
* ''
I Am... Sasha Fierce'' (Columbia Records, 2008)
With
Booker T. & the M.G.'s
* ''
That's The Way It Should Be'' (Columbia, 1994)
With
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Ronnie Baker Brooks (born January 23, 1967) is an American Chicago blues and soul blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a respected club performer in Chicago, even before recording three solo albums for Watchdog Records. The son of fel ...
* ''Times Have Changed'' (Provogue, 2017)
With
Solomon Burke
Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke (born James Solomon McDonald, March 21, 1936 or 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s. He has been ...
* ''Like a Fire'' (Shout! Factory, 2008)
With
Andrés Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro (Andrés Calamaro Massel, August 22, 1961) is an Argentine musician, composer and Latin Grammy winner. He is considered one of the greatest and most influential rock artists in Spanish. He is also one of the most complete artist ...
* ''Alta Suciedad'' (Gasa, 1997)
With
J. J. Cale and
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...
* ''
The Road to Escondido
''The Road to Escondido'' is a collaborative studio album by J. J. Cale and Eric Clapton. It was released on 7 November 2006. Contained on this album are the final recordings of keyboardist Billy Preston. The album is jointly dedicated to Pr ...
'' (Reprise Records, 2006)
With
Felix Cavaliere
* ''Castles in the Air'' (Epic, 1979)
With
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of '' American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her de ...
* ''
Stronger'' (RCA Records, 2011)
With
Sean Costello
Sean Costello (April 16, 1979 – April 15, 2008) was an American blues musician, renowned for his fiery guitar playing and soulful singing. He released five critically acclaimed albums before his career was cut short by his sudden death from ...
* ''Sean Costello'' (Tone-Cool Records, 2004)
With
Cracker
Cracker, crackers or The Crackers may refer to:
Animals
* ''Hamadryas'' (butterfly), or crackers, a genus of brush-footed butterflies
* '' Sparodon'', a monotypic genus whose species is sometimes known as "Cracker"
Arts and entertainment Films ...
* ''
Gentleman's Blues'' (Virgin Records, 1998)
With
Robert Cray
Robert William Cray (born August 1, 1953) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He has led his own band and won five Grammy Awards.
Early life
Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, while his father was statione ...
* ''
Take Your Shoes Off'' (Rykodisc, 1999)
* ''
Shoulda Been Home'' (Rykodisc, 2001)
* ''In My Soul'' (Provogue, 2014)
* ''Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm'' (Warner Bros., 2017)
* ''
That's What I Heard'' (Nozzle, 2020)
With
Steve Cropper
Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as ...
* ''Dedicated – A Salute to the 5 Royales'' (429 Records, 2011)
With
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three ...
* ''
C'mon, C'mon'' (A&M Records, 2002)
* ''
Threads'' (Big Machine Records, 2019)
With
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
* ''
Down in the Groove
''Down in the Groove'' is the 25th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 30, 1988 by Columbia Records.
A highly collaborative effort, it was Dylan's second consecutive album to receive almost unanimously negative r ...
'' (Columbia Records, 1988)
With
Donald Fagen
Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, 1948) is an American musician best known as the co-founder, lead singer, co-songwriter, and keyboardist of the band Steely Dan, formed in the early 1970s with musical partner Walter Becker. In addition to his ...
* ''
The Nightfly
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1982)
With
Roberta Flack
Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles " The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", " Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", " W ...
* ''
Roberta'' (Atlantic Records, 1994)
With
Robben Ford
Robben Lee Ford (born December 16, 1951) is an American blues, jazz, and rock guitarist. He was a member of the L.A. Express and Yellowjackets and has collaborated with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Larry Carlton, Rick Sprin ...
* ''
Tiger Walk
The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associ ...
'' (Blue Thumb, 1997)
With
Bernard Fowler
Bernard Fowler (born January 2, 1960) is an American musician. He is known for a long association with The Rolling Stones, providing backing vocals since 1989 and on their studio recordings and live tours. Fowler has been a featured guest vocali ...
* ''Inside Out'' (Rhyme & Reason, 2019)
With
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in '' Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Wit ...
* ''
Aretha'' (Arista Records, 1986)
With
Michael Franks
* ''
The Camera Never Lies'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1987)
With
Jeffrey Gaines
Jeffrey Gaines is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he was signed to the Chrysalis Records label in 1990 and released his debut album, ''Jeffrey Gaines'', in 1992.
Life and career
The first single ...
* ''Somewhat Slightly Dazed'' (Chrysalis Records, 1994)
With
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
* ''
Still Waters'' (Polydor Records, 1997)
With
Debbie Gibson
Deborah Ann Gibson (born August 31, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress.
Gibson released her debut album '' Out of the Blue'' in 1987, which spawned several international hits, later being certified triple plati ...
* ''
Think with Your Heart'' (EMI, 1995)
With
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist ...
* ''
Down to My Last Bad Habit'' (MCA Records, 2016)
With
Bunky Green
Vernice "Bunky" Green (born April 23, 1935) is an American jazz alto saxophonist and educator.
Biography
Green was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he played the alto saxophone, mainly at a local club called "The Brass Rail".
Green's fir ...
* ''
Visions'' (Vanguard, 1978)
With
Josh Groban
Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, wi ...
* ''
Bridges
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually someth ...
'' (Reprise Records, 2018)
* ''
Harmony
In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. Howeve ...
'' (Reprise Records, 2020)
With
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he hel ...
* ''Possibilities'' (Hear Music, 2005)
With
Major Harris
* ''How Do You Take Your Love'' (RCA Records, 1978)
With
Don Henley
Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as " Witchy Woman", "Des ...
* ''
The End of the Innocence'' (Geffen, 1989)
With
Cissy Houston
Emily "Cissy" Houston ( ''née'' Drinkard; born September 30, 1933) is an American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, Houston embar ...
* ''
Cissy Houston
Emily "Cissy" Houston ( ''née'' Drinkard; born September 30, 1933) is an American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, Houston embar ...
'' (Private Stock Records, 1977)
* ''
Face to Face'' (BMG, 1996)
* ''
He Leadeth Me'' (A&M Records, 1997)
With
Garland Jeffreys
* ''
Don't Call Me Buckwheat
''Don't Call Me Buckwheat'' is an album by Garland Jeffreys. It was released in 1992 by RCA Records, his first album in nine years. The title of the album is a reference to a derogatory remark directed toward Jeffreys at a Mets game.
The lead si ...
'' (BMG, 1991)
* ''Wildlife Dictionary'' (RCA Records, 1997)
* ''The King of In Between'' (Big Lake, 2011)
* ''Truth Serum'' (Luna Park, 2013)
With Billy Joel
* ''River of Dreams'' (Columbia Records, 1993)
With Libby Johnson
* ''Annabella'' (Wrong Records, 2006)
With
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
* ''The Diary of Alicia Keys'' (J Records, 2003)
* ''As I Am (Alicia Keys album), As I Am'' (J Records, 2007)
* ''Keys (album), Keys'' (RCA Records, 2021)
With Steve Khan Eyewitness
* ''Eyewitness'' (Antilles, 1981)
* ''Modern Times'' (also released as ''Blades'') (Trio/Passport, 1982)
* ''Casa Loco'' (Antilles, 1984)
With
B.B. King
* ''Deuces Wild (B.B. King album), Deuces Wild'' (MCA Records, 1997)
With K'naan
* ''Country, God or the Girl'' (A&M Records, 2012)
With Labelle
* ''Back to Now'' (Verve, 2008)
With Cyndi Lauper
* ''At Last (Cyndi Lauper album), At Last'' (Epic Records, 2003)
With Bettye LaVette
* ''Things Have Changed (album), Things Have Changed'' (Verve, 2018)
* ''Blackbirds'' (Verve, 2020)
With Lori Lieberman
* ''Letting Go'' (Millennium Records, 1978)
With Taj Mahal (musician), Taj Mahal
* ''Evolution (The Most Recent)'' (Warner Bros., 1978)
With Ziggy Marley
* ''Dragonfly (Ziggy Marley album), Dragonfly'' (Private Music, 2003)
With Amanda Marshall
* ''Tuesday's Child (album), Tuesday's Child'' (Epic Records, 1999)
With Bruno Mars
* ''Unorthodox Jukebox'' (Atlantic Records, 2012)
With
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 wit ...
* ''
Heavier Things'' (Columbia, 2003)
* ''
Continuum'' (Columbia, 2006)
* ''
Battle Studies
''Battle Studies'' is a book by Ardant du Picq, a colonel in the French Army who was killed in 1870 in the Franco-Prussian War. The work was never completed, but Du Picq had written many chapters completely and left sufficient notes behind to co ...
'' (Columbia, 2009)
* ''The Search for Everything'' (Columbia, 2017)
With John Mayer Trio
* ''Try! (John Mayer Trio album), Try!'' (Columbia, 2005)
With Melanie (singer), Melanie
* ''Phonogenic – Not Just Another Pretty Face'' (Midsong International, 1978)
With
John Mellencamp
John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumen ...
* ''Cuttin' Heads'' (Columbia Records, 2001)
With Keb' Mo'
* ''The Door (Keb' Mo' album), The Door'' (Epic Records, 2000)
* ''BLUESAmericana'' (Kind of Blue Music, 2014)
* ''Moonlight, Mistletoe & You'' (Concord Records, 2019)
With Ivan Neville
* ''If My Ancestors Could See Me Now'' (Polydor Records, 1988)
* ''Thanks'' (Iguana Records, 1995)
With The Neville Brothers
* ''Brother's Keeper (Neville Brothers album), Brother's Keeper'' (A&M, 1990)
With
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist.
After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...
* ''Rock a Little'' (Parlophone Records, 1985)
With Odyssey (band), Odyssey
* ''Hollywood Party Tonight'' (RCA Victor, 1978)
With David Paich
* ''Forgotten Toys'' (The Players Club, 2022)
With Sam Phillips (musician), Sam Phillips
* ''The Indescribable Wow'' (Virgin Records, 1988)
With The Pretenders
* ''Get Close'' (Real, 1986)
With Don Pullen
* ''Montreux Concert'' (Atlantic, 1977)
With Nicole Renée
* ''Nicole Renée (album), Nicole Renée'' (Atlantic Records, 1998)
With
Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...
* ''Talk Is Cheap'' (Virgin, 1988)
* ''
Main Offender'' (Virgin, 1992)
* ''
Crosseyed Heart
''Crosseyed Heart'' is the third solo album by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. Released on 18 September 2015, it is Richards' first studio album in 23 years since ''Main Offender''. As with his first two albums, it was recorded with his ...
'' (Republic, 2015)
With LeAnn Rimes
* ''Spitfire (LeAnn Rimes album), Spitfire'' (Curb Records, 2013)
* ''One Christmas: Chapter 1'' (Iconic Records, 2014)
* ''Remnants (LeAnn Rimes album), Remnants'' (RCA Records, 2016)
With Mark Ronson
* ''Uptown Special'' (Columbia Records, 2015)
With
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. An early bandmate of Steve Miller in The Ardells and the Steve Miller Band, he began his solo career in 1969, though he lacked a major hit until ...
* ''Dig (Boz Scaggs album), Dig'' (Virgin Records, 2001)
* ''
Memphis
Memphis most commonly refers to:
* Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt
* Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city
Memphis may also refer to:
Places United States
* Memphis, Alabama
* Memphis, Florida
* Memphis, Indiana
* Memp ...
'' (429 Records, 2013)
* ''A Fool to Care'' (429 Records, 2015)
With
Patti Scialfa
Vivienne Patricia Scialfa ( ; born July 29, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Scialfa has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 and has been married to Bruce Springsteen since 1991. In 2014, Scialfa was inducted into ...
* ''23rd St. Lullaby, 23rd Street Lullaby'' (Columbia, 2004)
* ''Play It as It Lays (album), Play It as It Lays'' (Columbia, 2007)
With
John Scofield
John Scofield (born December 26, 1951), sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention in th ...
* ''Who's Who? (album), Who's Who?'' (Arista, 1979)
* ''Electric Outlet'' (Gramavision, 1984)
* ''That's What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles'' (Verve Records, 2005)
With John Sebastian
* ''Tar Beach'' (Shanachie, 1992)
With Brian Setzer
* ''The Knife Feels Like Justice'' (EMI, 1986)
With Feargal Sharkey
* ''Wish (Feargal Sharkey album), Wish'' (Virgin Records, 1988)
With
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
* ''Devils & Dust'' (Columbia Records, 2005)
* ''Wrecking Ball (Bruce Springsteen album), Wrecking Ball'' (Columbia Records, 2012)
With Candi Staton
* ''Chance (Candi Staton album), Chance'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1979)
With Mike Stern
* ''Upside Downside'' (Atlantic Records, Atlantic, 1986)
With
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, later i ...
* ''Back to Earth (Cat Stevens album), Back to Earth'' (Island Records, 1978)
With Rod Stewart
* ''Soulbook'' (J Records, 2009)
With Andrew Strong
* ''Strong'' (MCA Records, 1993)
With
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-sell ...
* ''New Moon Shine'' (Columbia Records, 1991)
With Toto (band), Toto
* ''Fahrenheit (Toto album), Fahrenheit'' (CBS, 1986)
With Bonnie Tyler
* ''Faster Than the Speed of Night'' (Columbia Records, 1983)
With
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...
* ''Landing on Water'' (Geffen, 1986)
With Steven Van Zandt
* ''Freedom – No Compromise'' (EMI, 1987)
Equipment
Jordan plays Yamaha Drums, Paiste Cymbals and Remo drumheads. He has signature drumsticks from Vic Firth.
Acoustic Drums:Yamaha Maple Custom
* 14" x 6.5" snare drum or a 13" x 6.5" Steve Jordan Signature snare drum
* 20" x 16" bass drum
* 12" x 8" rack tom
* 14" x 14" floor tom
Paiste:
* 17" Signature Traditionals Thin Crash (as hi-hat top)
* 17" Signature Dark Energy Crash (as hi-hat bottom)
* 20" Masters Dark Crash Ride
* 22" Traditionals Light Ride
Drumheads:
Jordan endorses Remo drumheads and uses Coated Vintage A's and Coated Ambassadors on the toms and snares and either a Coated Powerstroke 3 or a Coated Ambassador on the bass drum.
Drumsticks:
"Steve's Signature stick is light and long for great touch and sound around the drums and cymbals." In hickory. L = 16 ½"; Dia. = .525" Jordan discussed their use in a video interview for Vic Firth.
References
External links
*
Steve Jordan video interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jordan, Steve
Living people
African-American drummers
The High School of Music & Art alumni
Musicians from New York City
American rock drummers
African-American record producers
American session musicians
Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band members
The Blues Brothers members
American funk drummers
American male drummers
1957 births
American rhythm and blues musicians
American jazz drummers
American blues drummers
American soul musicians
Booker T. & the M.G.'s members
Grammy Award winners
American multi-instrumentalists
Record producers from New York (state)
Rhythm and blues drummers
Soul drummers
John Mayer Trio members
20th-century American drummers
Saturday Night Live Band members
Jazz musicians from New York (state)
American male jazz musicians
Primetime Emmy Award winners