Who was/is Louis Jordan ? - CDs, Vinyl LPs, DVD and more

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

PLUG IT IN! TURN IT UP!

Electric Blues 1939-2005. - The Definitive Collection!

 

 

Copyright © Bear Family Records®. Copying, also of extracts, or any other form of reproduction, including the adaptation into electronic data bases and copying onto any data mediums, in English or in any other language is permissible only and exclusively with the written consent of Bear Family Records® GmbH.

More information about Louis Jordan on Wikipedia.org

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Live (CD)
Louis Jordan: Live (CD) Art-Nr.: CDJSP3008

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(JSP) 10 tracks After the Second World War, there was a marked decline in interest in big bands in America. Audiences wanted something faster and more exciting - and that's where Louis Jordan comes in. His Tympany Five was a group of...
$20.31
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Louis Jordan And Ella Fitzgerald (LP)
Louis Jordan: Louis Jordan And Ella Fitzgerald (LP) Art-Nr.: BF15557

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(Bear Family Records) 7 tracks 1946 - 1950
$22.58
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Bills - Fifty Cents (7inch, 45rpm)
Louis Jordan: Bills - Fifty Cents (7inch, 45rpm) Art-Nr.: 45REPM583

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(Repro) 2 Tracks
$13.52
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The Very Best Of Louis Jordan (LP, 180g Vinyl)
Louis Jordan: The Very Best Of Louis Jordan (LP, 180g Vinyl) Art-Nr.: LPCAT232

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(Not Now Music) 16 tracks This compilation album gathers Decca tracks from 1942 onward and covers Jordan's golden period; it includes 11 number one hits and 5 chart-topping Top 10s. Louis Jordan has left a truly lasting legacy, for...
$21.45
The King Of The Jukebox (2-CD)
Louis Jordan: The King Of The Jukebox (2-CD) Art-Nr.: CD091169

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(The Primo Collection) 40 tracks
$14.66
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Jordan's Jazz (CD)
Louis Jordan: Jordan's Jazz (CD) Art-Nr.: CD107078

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(Newsound) 19 tracks
$11.26
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The Essential Collection (CD)
Louis Jordan: The Essential Collection (CD) Art-Nr.: CD544328

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(Sprectrum) 17 tracks
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G.J. Jive (2-CD)
Louis Jordan: G.J. Jive (2-CD) Art-Nr.: CD215119

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(Digimode) 36 tracks
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Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five - Quest Stars Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (CD)
Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five: Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five - Quest Stars... Art-Nr.: CD003525

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(Sarabandas) 22 tracks
$33.89
Five Guys Named Moe (CD)
Louis Jordan: Five Guys Named Moe (CD) Art-Nr.: CD185326

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(Charly Records) 20 tracks
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G.I. Jive (CD)
Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: G.I. Jive (CD) Art-Nr.: CDRBD602

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(Mr. R&B) 16 tracks Rare Swedish CD, Jumpin' G.I. Jive, 1940-47, 8-page booklet with informative liner notes and session details. The beauiful part in the World War II scenario - The soundtrack to Europe's Liberation from Nazi Terror!
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Someone Done Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man (CD)
Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: Someone Done Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man (CD) Art-Nr.: CDRBD619

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(Mr. R&B) 16 tracks, rare Swedish CD, original Decca recordings, 1938-42, 8-page booklet with the story and session details.
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Five Guys Named Moe Vol.2 (CD)
Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: Five Guys Named Moe Vol.2 (CD) Art-Nr.: CDMCA10503

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(1992/MCA) 18 tracks 1946-52 with 16 page booklet - out of print collector's item
$11.26 $18.05
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The Essence Of Louis Jordan (2-CD)
Louis Jordan: The Essence Of Louis Jordan (2-CD) Art-Nr.: CD333081

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(Delta Music) 50 tracks
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Five Guys Named Moe (CD)
Louis Jordan: Five Guys Named Moe (CD) Art-Nr.: CD194229

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(Charly Records) 20 tracks
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Let the Good Times Roll (CD)
Louis Jordan: Let the Good Times Roll (CD) Art-Nr.: CD425127

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(Coolnote) 20 tracks
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Let the Good Times Roll (2-LP)
Louis Jordan: Let the Good Times Roll (2-LP) Art-Nr.: LPVP80802

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(Vinyl Passion) 36 tracks - The singles 1942-1951, feat. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong!
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Saturday Night Fish Fry (7inch, 45rpm)
Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five: Saturday Night Fish Fry (7inch, 45rpm) Art-Nr.: 45MCA60131

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(MCA) 2-Track Single - Decca 1949 (1980 US pressing) - 45 rpm, large inner hole perfect for the juke box! Company Sleeve!
$10.13
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Collector Card #203 - Jumpin' And Jivin' Louis Jordan
Louis Jordan: Collector Card #203 - Jumpin' And Jivin' Louis... Art-Nr.: BFCC203

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Collector Card - Sheet Metal 19.5x14.5 cm, 90 gram with drillholes perfect for your wall Bear Family collector's cards are tin signs in postcard or single envelope format with cultural nostalgia motifs from the good old days. These cards...
$7.87
Rock & Roll Call (LP)
Louis Jordan: Rock & Roll Call (LP) Art-Nr.: BFX15257

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(Bear Family Records®) 12 Tracks - Gatefold Cover - archive copy mint
$45.21
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Five Guys Named Moe (CD)
Louis Jordan: Five Guys Named Moe (CD) Art-Nr.: CD904821

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(MCA) 20 tracks
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Classics 1941-1943 (CD)
Louis Jordan: Classics 1941-1943 (CD) Art-Nr.: CDCL741

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(1994/Classics) 24 tracks - Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five
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The Greatest Hits - No Moe (CD)
Louis Jordan: The Greatest Hits - No Moe (CD) Art-Nr.: CDVER512523

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(1992/Verve) 16 tracks
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Five Guys Named Moe - Louis Jordan's Golden Greats (LP)
Louis Jordan: Five Guys Named Moe - Louis Jordan's Golden... Art-Nr.: LPMCL1718

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(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...
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Rock 'N Roll Call (CD)
Louis Jordan: Rock 'N Roll Call (CD) Art-Nr.: CDBMG07863

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(1993/BMG) 12 tracks, Cut-Out
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