Sheila Jordan on Jazz Night In America. : NPR

Note: This episode initially aired in November 2023. 

Vocalist Sheila Jordan, who died this week on the age of 96, was the definition of a dwelling jazz legend. She mingled and carried out with Charlie Parker and Charles Mingus, Lennie Tristano and Max Roach, to call a couple of. She was one of many first singers to look on Blue Note Records. And her creativeness introduced the weird format of voice and bass to the forefront, making it a factor.

Her journey in jazz started when she was solely 14 years previous. She heard Charlie Parker’s “Now’s The Time” on the jukebox whereas rising up in Detroit and by no means regarded again. Bird turned a lifelong obsession. In her 90s, she needed to verify the Bird lived on, together with jazz itself.

“Support the music until it can support you,” she mentioned. “And you know what? It might never support you, but if you love it, you’ll keep doing it because you won’t want to give it up.”

Certainly, Jordan had skilled her fair proportion of ups and downs throughout her life and storied profession. As a baby, she grew up in poverty, and whereas she pursued her goals in music, she wanted to have hustles on the facet. But she stored at it.

“I had to sing. I just had to do it,” she informed Jazz Night In America host Christian McBride. The music at all times stored her going.

Listen to their dialog on this episode of Jazz Night in America.

Set List:

• “Falling in Love with Love” (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart), from the album Portrait of Sheila (Blue Note Records)
• “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” (Irving Berlin), from the album Portrait of Sheila (Blue Note Records)
• “Confirmation” (Charlie Parker, Skeeter Spight, Leroy Mitchell), from the album Better Than Anything (Live) (There Records)
• “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (Duke Ellington), from the album Comes Love: Lost Session 1960 (Capri Records)
• “You Are My Sunshine” (Jimmie Davis, Charles Mitchell), from George Russell’s album The Outer View (Riverside Records)
• “Dat Dere” (Bobby Timmons), from the album Portrait of Sheila (Blue Note Records)
• “Better Than Anything” (Bill Loughborough, David “Buck” Wheat), with Arild Andersen, from the album Sheila (SteepleChase Records)
• “Lazy Afternoon” (Jerome Moross, John La Touche), with Harvie S, from the album Yesterdays (ExcessiveNote Records)
• “Reel Time” (Chris Lee), from the album Jazz Child (ExcessiveNote Records)
• “Sheila’s Blues” (Sheila Jordan) from the album Detroit Jazz City (Blue Note Records)

Credits:

Sarah Geledi, author and producer; Christian McBride, host; Ron Scalzo, episode combine; Suraya Mohamed, venture supervisor; Keith Jenkins, vp of visuals and technique at NPR Music. Gabrielle Armand and Anya Grundmann, govt producers.