LOUIS JORDAN

Louis Jordan was born in Brinkley Arkansas - 60 miles from Memphis Tennessee - on the 8th July 1908.

At age 7 he began learning the clarinet taught by
his father a music teacher.

In 1929 he turned professional and on May 14th
went into Brunswick Studios to record Dog Bottom
& Jungle Mama under the guidance of Chick Webb.

He joined Chick's Orchestra in 1936 who were
popular with the dancers at The Savoy.

After Chicks death in 1938 Louis formed the 9 piece Elks Rendez-vous Band which was subsequently reduced to become the now legendary Tympany Five.

By 1941 he had begun recording for Decca and performed many successful arrangements written
by keyboard players Bill Doggett and Wild Bill Davis.

For the next decade this was his time and he developed in to the showman supreme and the hits kept on coming - Caldonia, Choo Choo Ch' Boogie,
Let The Good Times Roll & many more.

Change of line up in 1951 saw him set up a big band, but this was not the way of the trend and in 1952 went in to temporary retirement no doubt also influenced by his suffering from arthritis.

He continued to record but only occasionally and played his last gig
in Sparks Nevada in February 1975.

Louis Jordan died from a heart attack
in Los Angeles California on the 4th February 1975.

It could be argued that Beware in 1946 with its clever rhyming jive was the first rap record. - over half a century before it became mainstream.

"The Chicks I Pick
are Slender and
Tender and Tall"

Louis Jordan

"The King of the Jukebox"

Discography below