Louis Jordan was born July 8, 1908 in Brinkley, Arkansas, USA and died February 4, 1975 in Los Angeles, California.
After a few years playing in the “Chitlin circuit” of the 1930s and just after World War II, Jordan launched a revolutionary sound: it wasn’t Blues nor Jazz but the “Jump Blues” sound which evolved into Rhythm And Blues. His jumping shuffle rhythms were copied by many in the 1940s and Louis Jordan with the tightest bands around “The Tympany Five” came to inspire many artists who followed in the mid 1950s, to the 60s and 70s, from
Bill Haley And His Comets to
James Brown but also
Ray Charles or
Brandon Marsalis.
Between 1942 and 1951
Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five had 57 R&B chart hits on
Decca (2) Records. His first release was “Honey in The Bee Ball" in 1938. In the 1950s he left Decca and recorded for
Aladdin Records and in the 1960s for Ray Charles’
Tangerine Records.
Ray Charles often mentioned Louis Jordan as one of his biggest influences in music.
Louis Jordan, popular to all audiences, is unforgotten for developing the blueprint of Rock and Roll and R&B.
He died February 04, 1975 of a heart attack, in Los Angeles, California, USA.