Seems reports speaking of the demise of piano great Duke Jordan were greatly exaggerated. Inital reports suggested that Jordan, 84, had died at his home, but these were later refuted.

Duke Jordan. One of his masterpieces is the album with the self-concious title Flight to Jordan from 1960.

Jordan belonged to a colony of American musicians (including drummer Ed Thigpen) who settled in Denmark during the 1960s and 70s. The pianist was a direct link back to bebop's days of glory.

Duke Jordan played with Charlie Parker at the end of the 1940s and held on to his preference for Bebop until he had to say goodbye to the keyboard in 1995 due to pains in one of his arms.

One of his masterpieces is the album with the self-concious title Flight to Jordan from 1960. Several of the compositions on that album are his own and its evident how essential humour was to Duke Jordan.

Many of the tunes had
funny and odd titles, referring to himself. The tune Jordanish, is an example, summing up in one single word that Duke Jordan found peace, love and a large audience in Denmark. Jordu, evolved into a standard and is found on innumerable recordings.

Another Jordan, Clifford, has some amount of significance to Jamaican music. Clifford played with renowned jamaican trumpeter Dizzy Reece, and also was a major contributor to the recording Reggae A Go Jazz, made at Studio One.

Clifford Jordan was born in Chicago in 1931 and began his musical studies on the piano at an early age. "It was kind of a forced deal - my mother wanted me to play." He picked up the tenor when he was fourteen because it was "the hip thing to be playing horn" in his neighbourhood at the time.

He says Lester Young was his first big influence but maintains that he liked and listened to everyone. Once he had achieved a working knowledge of his tenor, Cliff began playing around town with some of his DuSable High classmates; Johnny Griffin, John Gilmore and John Jenkins.

His first professional gig was with Max Roach and was followed by jobs with Sonny Stitt and various rhythm-and-blues bands. He left Chicago to replace Sonny Rollins in the Max Roach quintet and then switched places with Hank Mobley to go with Horace Silver's unit.
Cliffords died in 1993.

Mary Isaacs @ Red Bones

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