Louis Jordan Five Guys Named Moe - Louis Jordan's Golden Greats (LP)

Preview: Five Guys Named Moe - Louis Jordan's Golden Greats (LP)

Five Guys Named Moe - Louis Jordan's Golden Greats (LP)

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(MCA GB) 16 tracks Decca masters For most people, the music of Louis Jordan is going to be... more

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Louis Jordan: Five Guys Named Moe - Louis Jordan's Golden Greats (LP)

(MCA GB) 16 tracks Decca masters

For most people, the music of Louis Jordan is going to be something of a discovery, even though he is credited as the man who 'made the blues jump'. The astonishing thing about his material is that it hardly seems to have dated at all, despite being recorded over four decades ago. Louis Jordan was born on July 8th 1908 in Brinkley, Arkansas. U.S.A.. By the age of seven, having been taught by his father, a music teacher, Louis was playing the clarinet. His background was poor and at 14 Louis took an opportunity to join a travelling show called The Rabbit Foot Minstrels. His father prevailed upon him to finish his education, but it remained incomplete.

To quench his thirst for experience he headed to Philadelphia in the early 1930's, all the time playing with new musicians and combos in the city. The Big Apple' beckoned and 1935 saw Louis move to New York and within a year he had hooked up with Chick Webb's swinging Harlem dance band playing in the reed section and singing. Another band member was also getting a singing start with the outfit - her name was Ella Fitzgerald. In 1938 Louis had taken his talents, style and strong sense of humour and placed them firmly in front of his own band, The Tympany Five.

The name of Louis Jordan became an American headliner not long after signing a recording contract with Decca Records (this catalogue was later purchased by MCA Records). Although his first session of recordings were considered undistinguished it was not long before he divised a core style that had humour and a rhythmic definition of swing and jazz. This method culminated with the release of 'Five Guys Named Moe' in 1942. The jukeboxes across America then began to jump to the Jordan sound. Louis' recording of Johnny Mercers 'G.I. Jive' not only became a million-seller but it earned him the label of 'King Of The Jukeboxes'.

Over two hundred sides were cut for Decca during his time with the label and many became hits. Al had an element that was unmistakeable, the crazy title. the good natured singing, the beating alto sax or simply the performaces laid down with monumental gusto on his part all pointed directly to Louis Jordan. Jordan's popularity became even wider when Decca paired him up with many of the recording greats. Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, The Andrews Sisters and even his old singing partner, Ella Fitzgerald. all recorded with Louis during the 1940's. At the same time he and the Tympany Five appeared in several Hollywood movies 'Follow The Boys'. ''Junior Prom 'Look Out Sister', 'Meet Miss Bobbysox 'Swing Parade Of 1946'. and 'Beware' the latter being an all-black musical produced by Jordan and his manager Berle Adams.

Throughout the 40's Louis Jordan was considered the Harlem Idol, but post war audience changed and so had their tastes. In the 50's many of the big bands had all but wound up and these included such names as Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James and Artie Shaw - Louis slick little group expired along with them. In poor health in 1954, Louis Jordan and the Tympany Five left Decca. The bands producer. Milt Gabler. went on to inspire a new combo using the Jordan sound as a base - he worked with Bill Haley and His Comets and brought the world ' Rock & Roll'!

Louis recorded for other labels but he never re-created the success he had had with Decca. In the 70's the Tympany Five was reformed by Jordan and in 1974 they appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival. It seemed as though things were coming around once again and a retum to 'the big time was on the horizon. when Louis was the victim of a deadly heart attack on 4th February 1975 in Los Angeles. California. To contemporary audiences the legacy of Louis Jordan has been re-bom through some unlikely exposure. Six years after his death Joe Jackson produced an astonishing album of cover versions called 'Jumpin' Jive'. a high proportion of which was 'performed at one time or other by our main inspiration. Louis Jordan, the King Of The Juke Boxes, who influenced so many but is acknowledged by so few'. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby' written by Jordan and Austin is currently used as the music base for a national T.V. commercial.

The true, widespread appeal of the man and his music has been realised with the London West End opening of the musical production 'Five Guys Named Moe'. Hopefully, with the release of this package the acknowledgement so long due to Louis Jordan will be forthcoming and the balance redressed. Enjoy this collection of Louis Jordan, and the Tympany Five's best and as Joe Jackson says on his sleeve notes 'Reap this righteous Off'.
Nick Franks. March 1991.

Article properties: Louis Jordan: Five Guys Named Moe - Louis Jordan's Golden Greats (LP)

Interpret: Louis Jordan
Album titlle: Five Guys Named Moe - Louis Jordan's Golden Greats (LP)
Genre R&B, Soul
Label MCA GB
Geschwindigkeit 33 U/min
Vinyl record size LP (12 Inch)
Record Grading Mint (M)
Sleeve Grading Mint (M)
Artikelart LP
EAN: 5011781171815
weight in Kg 0.2

Jordan, Louis - Five Guys Named Moe - Louis Jordan's Golden Greats (LP) LP 1
01	Five Guys Named Moe	Louis Jordan
02	Choo Choo Ch'Boogie	Louis Jordan
03	Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens	Louis Jordan
04	Beware Brother Beware	Louis Jordan
05	Early In The Morning	Louis Jordan
06	Saturday Night Fish Fry	Louis Jordan
07	Let The Good Times Roll	Louis Jordan
08	Push Ka Pi Shee Pie	Louis Jordan
09	Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby	Louis Jordan
10	Reet Petite And Gone	Louis Jordan
11	Schooldays	Louis Jordan
12	Jack You're Dad	Louis Jordan
13	Pettin' And Pokin'	Louis Jordan
14	I Know What I've Got	Louis Jordan
15	What's The Use Of Getting Sober	Louis Jordan
16	Cal'Donia	Louis Jordan

Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five No artist was more seminal to the development of R&B... more

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"Louis Jordan"

Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five

No artist was more seminal to the development of R&B and ultimately rock and roll than jumpin', jivin' alto saxist Louis Jordan and his relentlessly swinging Tympany Five. The most popular R&B act of their era with an unbroken string of hits for Decca spanning 1942-1951, Jordan and his compact crew managed to cross over to the pop hit parade in unprecedented fashion. A naturally gifted comic, he starred in several low budget musical films for black audiences and proved a major influence on Bill Haley & His Comets, who were produced by Jordan's former Decca A&R man, Milt Gabler.

Born in Brinkley, Arkansas, on July 8, 1908, Louis came by his musical talents naturally: his father was a bandleader. The younger Jordan was skilled enough on his horn to find work in New York during the early '30s, recording behind Louis Armstrong and Clarence Williams before joining drummer Chick Webb's orchestra in 1936 (he was showcased on Webb's Rusty Hinge). Louis left Chick's employ in 1938, ready to lead the first incarnation of his Tympany Five (he was playing clarinet as well as alto sax in those days).

The hits began to come in late '42 with I'm Gonna Leave You On The Outskirts Of Town and didn't let up for a full decade. Jordan rallied the troops with his Ration Blues and G.I. Jive and kept jitterbugs hopping back home with Caldonia and Choo Choo Ch'Boogie. Like nine of his Decca 78s before it, Ain't That Just Like A Woman paced the race music charts. Written by Claude De Metruis (alleged co-author Fleecie Moore was Jordan's wife; he'd soon divorce her after she attacked him with a knife, losing a lot of compositional royalties he'd assigned to her in the process) and cut January 23, 1946 in New York, the humorous romp saw Louis' band expand to six with the addition of guitarist Carl Hogan.

Pianist Wild Bill Davis keeps the track driving, but it's Hogan's fluid boogie underpinning that gets the witty number rocking. Chuck Berry has long cited Hogan as a main influence and cut his own version of the song nearly two decades later; Fats Domino and Lloyd Price made convincing renditions as well. Sadly, like many of his peers, Jordan got left behind during the rock and roll revolution he helped spark. He was still performing until shortly before his February 4, 1975 death.

Bill Dahl
Chicago, Illinois

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