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Louis Thomas Jordan was born in 1908 in Brinkley, Arkansas. His upbringing was steeped in music with his bandleader father teaching him clarinet when he was just seven. He learnt piano before setting his sights on a saxophone. By the age of 15 he had his first taste of performing, with Ruby “Tuna Boy” Williams’ Belvedere Orchestra. Emerging from the swing era of the 1930s, Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five set the charts on fire throughout the 1940s with his unique blend of jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie. Appealing to a broad spectrum of listeners, hits such as “Five Guys Named Moe”, “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie”, “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby”, “Saturday Night Fish Fry” and “Caldonia” not only helped lay the foundations on which R&B and rock ‘n’ roll were built, it also managed to break down racial divides. No accolade bestowed on Louis Jordan can be too small. He was simply one of the greatest, most innovative, and charismatic entertainers the world has ever seen. He was pioneer of “jump blues” – a hybrid of jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie which was so infective and energetic it made the listener want to leap around. Jordan’s music was also vocally very distinctive, with loud syncopated shouts and lyrics drenched in humorous social commentary. This collection celebrates his extraordinary hit making prowess during a decade where he ruled the charts and became the King of the Jukebox.
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