Steve Philip Jordan (January 15, 1919 – September 13, 1993) was an American

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 major ...

guitarist.

Career

Jordan was born in New York City. He considered himself a rhythm guitarist whose biggest influences were

George Van Eps George Abel Van Eps (August 7, 1913 – November 29, 1998) was an American swing and mainstream jazz guitarist. Biography George Van Eps was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, United States, into a family of musicians. His three brothers – Fred ...

and

Allan Reuss Allan Reuss (June 15, 1915 – June 4, 1988) was an American jazz guitarist. Biography Reuss was born New York City, he began playing professionally as a banjoist at age 12. He learned guitar from George Van Eps. In the middle of the 1930s, ...

. He received lessons from Reuss, who played rhythm guitar for

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

In the early 1940s Jordan was a member of bands led by

Will Bradley Wilbur Schwichtenberg (July 12, 1912 – July 15, 1989), known professionally as Will Bradley, was an American trombonist and bandleader during the 1930s and 1940s. He performed swing, dance music, and boogie-woogie songs, many of them written b ...

Artie Shaw Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...

, and Teddy Powell. After serving with the Navy in World War II, he returned to music as a member of bands led by

Bob Chester Bob Chester (March 20, 1908 – October 29, 1966) was an American jazz and pop music bandleader and tenor saxophonist. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Chester's stepfather ran General Motors's Fisher Body Works. He began his ...

Freddie Slack Frederick Charles Slack (August 7, 1910 – August 10, 1965) was an American swing and boogie-woogie pianist and bandleader. Life and career Slack was born in Westby, Wisconsin, United States. He learned to play drums as a boy. Later he took up ...

Glen Gray Glenn Gray Knoblauch (June 7, 1900 – August 23, 1963), known professionally as Glen Gray, was an American jazz saxophonist and leader of the Casa Loma Orchestra.''The Mississippi Rag'', "Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra," George A. Bo ...

Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...

Jimmy Dorsey James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards " I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary Peop ...

, and

Boyd Raeburn Boyd Albert Raeburn (October 27, 1913 – August 2, 1966) was an American jazz bandleader and bass saxophonist. Career He was born in Faith, South Dakota, United States. Raeburn attended the University of Chicago, where he led a campus band. H ...

. When jobs for rhythm guitarists disappeared as big bands dwindled, Jordan became a studio musician for NBC. During the 1950s, he worked with

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of "Sing, Sing, S ...

Mel Powell Mel Powell (born Melvin Epstein) (February 12, 1923 – April 24, 1998) was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, and the founding dean of the music department at the California Institute of the Arts. He served as a music educator for over ...

Vic Dickenson Victor Dickenson (August 6, 1906 – November 16, 1984) was an American jazz trombonist. His career began in the 1920s and continued through musical partnerships with Count Basie (1940–41), Sidney Bechet (1941), and Earl Hines. Life and care ...

, Charles Thompson,

Buck Clayton Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton (November 12, 1911 – December 8, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter who was a member of Count Basie's orchestra. His principal influence was Louis Armstrong, first hearing the record "Confessin' That I Love You" ...

Ruby Braff Reuben "Ruby" Braff (March 16, 1927 – February 9, 2003) was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Jack Teagarden was once asked about him on the Garry Moore television show and described Ruby as "the Ivy League Louis Armstrong". Braff ...

, and Benny Goodman. In the 1960s, he earned a living as a tailor, but from 1965 to 1972 he performed routinely with

Tommy Gwaltney Thomas Oliver Gwaltney III (February 28, 1921, in Norfolk, Virginia, United States – February 11, 2003, in Virginia Beach, Virginia) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist and bandleader. He played clarinet, saxophone, and vibraphone. Biogr ...

at Blues Alley in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

His last job as sideman was with DC area band leader/drummer Brooks Tegler where he played strictly rhythm guitar for eight years and recorded two CD's ("Keep Em Flying" and "And Not Only That!"),Tegler Tom Scanlan-'Rhythm Man' with Tegler, in that capacity. He was offered a job replacing

Freddie Green Frederick William Green (March 31, 1911 – March 1, 1987) was an American swing jazz guitarist who played rhythm guitar with the Count Basie Orchestra for almost fifty years. Early life and education Green was born in Charleston, South Ca ...

in the

Count Basie Orchestra The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 195 ...

, but he rejected it because he said he was too old to tour again. His memoir, ''Rhythm Man'', was published in the early 1990s. ''Here Comes Mr. Jordan'' was his only album as a leader.

Discography

As leader

* ''Here Comes Mister Jordan'' (Fat Cat's Jazz, 1972)

As sideman

With

* ''At Newport'' (Verve, 1958) * ''Braff!!'' (Epic, 1956) * ''Hi-Fi Salute to Bunny'' (RCA Victor, 1957) With

* ''How Hi the Fi'' (Columbia, 1954) * ''Jumpin' at the Woodside'' (Columbia, 1955) * ''All the Cats Join in'' (Columbia, 1956) * ''Cat Meets Chick'' (Columbia, 1956) * ''Buck Meets Ruby'' (Family, 1973) * ''Just a Groove'' (Vanguard, 1973) * ''Jam Sessions from the Vault'' (Columbia, 1988) With others *

Wild Bill Davison William Edward Davison (January 5, 1906 – November 14, 1989), nicknamed "Wild Bill", was an American jazz cornetist. He emerged in the 1920s through his work playing alongside Muggsy Spanier and Frank Teschemacher in a cover band where they ...

, ''Lady of the Evening'' (Jazzology, 1985) *

, ''The Vic Dickenson Showcase'' (Vanguard, 1953) * Vic Dickenson, ''Slidin' Swing'' (Jazztone, 1957) *

, ''The Fabulous Jimmy Dorsey'' (Fraternity, 1957) *

Ronnie Gilbert Ruth Alice "Ronnie" Gilbert (September 7, 1926 – June 6, 2015), was an American folk singer, songwriter, actress and political activist. She was one of the original members of the music quartet the Weavers, as a contralto with Pete Seeger, Le ...

, ''In Hi-Fi: The Legend of Bessie Smith'' (RCA Victor, 1958) *

, ''The Uncollected 1943–1946 Vol. 2'' (Hindsight, 1978) *

, ''B.G. in Hi-Fi'' (Capitol, 1955) *

, ''This Is Blues Alley'' (Blues Alley 1966) *

Clancy Hayes Clarence Leonard Hayes (November 14, 1908 – March 13, 1972) was an American jazz vocalist and banjo player. Early life Hayes was born in Caney, Kansas, on November 14, 1908. As a child, he learned the drums, then switched to guitar and banjo. ...

, ''Mr. Hayes Goes to Washington'' (Clanco, 1972) *

, ''Drum Boogie'' (Clef, 1956) * Gene Krupa, ''The Exciting Gene Krupa'' (Verve, 1983) *

, ''Jam Session at Carnegie Hall'' (Columbia 1954) *

, ''Boyd Meets Stravinski'' (Savoy, 1955) *

Jimmy Rushing James Andrew Rushing (August 26, 1901 – June 8, 1972) was an American singer and pianist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., best known as the featured vocalist of Count Basie's Orchestra from 1935 to 1948. Rushing was known as " Mr. Five by ...

, ''The Jazz Odyssey of Jimmy Rushing'' (Philips, 1957) *

Pee Wee Russell Charles Ellsworth "Pee Wee" Russell (March 27, 1906 – February 15, 1969), was an American jazz musician. Early in his career he played clarinet and saxophones, but he eventually focused solely on clarinet. With a highly individualistic and sp ...

, ''Plays Pee Wee'' (Bell, 1961) *

Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved major popu ...

, ''Phil Silvers and Swinging Brass'' (Columbia, 1957) *

Buddy Tate George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist. Biography Tate was born in Sherman, Texas, United States, and first played the alto saxophone. According to the website All A ...

, ''Buddy Tate and His Buddies'' (Chiaroscuro, 1973) * Brooks Tegler, ''Keep Em Flying'' (Jazzology 1990) ''And Not Only That!'' (Big Mo 1995)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jordan, Steve 1919 births 1993 deaths American jazz guitarists 20th-century American guitarists