Clifford Jordan

Clifford Laconia Jordan (September 2, 1931 – March 27, 1993) and led his own groups, including a big band. The album features spoken-word from actor David Smyrl and singing from Jordan, as well as a small vocal ensemble which included Jordan's daughter, Donna.

Jordan would continue to record prolifically throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with his ambitious Strata East projects contrasted by more straight-ahead offerings, such as the 1981 offering Hyde Park After Dark, which saw him return to his Chicago roots, playing hard bop with a group that included Norman Simmons, Victor Sproles, and Cy Touff. He also rekindled his collaboration with Art Farmer around this time, afterwards playing as a sideman on several of Farmer's albums. Jordan died of lung cancer at the age of 61 in New York City. He was survived by a daughter, Donna Jewell Harris, (née Jordan), and a son, Eric Jordan.

Discography As leader/co-leader 1957: Blowing In from Chicago with John Gilmore (Blue Note, 1957) 1957: Cliff Jordan (Blue Note, 1957) 1957: Jenkins, Jordan and Timmons with John Jenkins and Bobby Timmons (New Jazz, 1957) 1957: Cliff Craft (Blue Note, 1958) 1960: Spellbound (Riverside, 1960) 1961: A Story Tale with Sonny Red (Jazzland, 1961) 1961: Starting Time (Jazzland, 1961) 1961–1962: Bearcat (Jazzland, 1962) 1965: These are My Roots: Clifford Jordan Plays Leadbelly (Atlantic, 1965) 1966: Soul Fountain (Vortex, 1970) 1969: In the World (Strata-East, 1972) 1973: Glass Bead Games (Strata-East, 1974) 1974 : Half Note (SteepleChase, 1985) 1974 : Drink Plenty Water (Harvest Song, 2023) 1975 : Night of the Mark VII (Muse, 1975) 1975 : On Stage Vol. 1 (SteepleChase, 1977) 1975 : On Stage Vol. 2 (SteepleChase, 1978) 1975 : On Stage Vol. 3 (SteepleChase, 1979) 1975 : Firm Roots (SteepleChase, 1975) 1975 : The Highest Mountain (SteepleChase, 1975) 1976: Remembering Me-Me (Muse, 1977) 1977: Inward Fire (Muse, 1978) 1978 : The Adventurer (Muse, 1980) 1978 : Hello, Hank Jones (Eastworld, 1978) 1981: Hyde Park After Dark (Bee Hive, 1981) 1984 : Repetition (Soul Note, 1984) 1984 : Dr. Chicago (Bee Hive, 1985) 1984 : Two Tenor Winner with Junior Cook (Criss Cross, 1985) 1985: The Rotterdam Session with Philly Joe Jones and James Long (Audio Daddio, 1985) 1986: Royal Ballads (Criss Cross, 1987) 1987: Live at Ethell's (Mapleshade, 1990) 1989 : Blue Head with David "Fathead" Newman (Candid, 1990) 1989 : Masters from Different Worlds with Ran Blake (Mapleshade, 1994) 1990?: Four Play with Richard Davis, James Williams & Ronnie Burrage (DIW, 1990) 1990 : Play What You Feel (Mapleshade, 1997) 1989-1991: The Mellow Side of Clifford Jordan (Mapleshade, 1997) 1991: Down Through the Years (Milestone, 1992)

As sideman With Richard Davis Epistrophy & Now's the Time (Muse, 1972) Dealin' (Muse, 1974) – rec. 1973

With Eric Dolphy Conversations (FM, 1963) – rec. 1963 Iron Man (Douglas International, 1968) – rec. 1963

With Art Farmer Mirage (Soul Note, 1982) You Make Me Smile (Soul Note, 1986) – rec. 1984 Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn (Contemporary, 1987) Blame It on My Youth (Contemporary, 1988) Ph.D. (Contemporary, 1989) Live at Sweet Basil (Evidence, 1994) – rec. 1992

With Carmen McRae Any Old Time (Denon, 1986) Carmen Sings Monk (Novus, 1990) – rec. 1988

With Charles Mingus Town Hall Concert ( Jazz Workshop, 1964) Right Now: Live at the Jazz Workshop (Fantasy, 1964) The Great Concert of Charles Mingus (America, 1971) – rec. 1964 Mingus in Europe Volume I (Enja, 1980) – rec. 1964 Mingus in Europe Volume II (Enja, 1980) – rec. 1964 Astral Weeks (Moon, 1993) – rec. 1964 Revenge! (Revenge, 1996) – rec. 1964 Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy Cornell 1964 (Blue Note, 2007) – rec. 1964

With Mingus Dynasty Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris, Vol. 1 (Soul Note, 1988) Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris, Vol. 2 (Soul Note, 1988)

With Lee Morgan Here's Lee Morgan (Vee-Jay, 1960) Expoobident (Vee-Jay, 1960) Take Twelve (Jazzland, 1962)

With Max Roach Percussion Bitter Sweet (Impulse!, 1961) It's Time (Impulse!, 1962) Speak, Brother, Speak! (Fantasy, 1962)

With Cedar Walton Spectrum (Prestige, 1968) The Electric Boogaloo Song (Prestige, 1969) A Night at Boomers, Vol. 1 (Muse, 1973) A Night at Boomers, Vol. 2 (Muse, 1973) The Pentagon (East Wind, 1976)

With others Paul Chambers, Paul Chambers Quintet (Blue Note, 1957) Sonny Clark, Sonny Clark Quintets (Blue Note, 1957) – the three tracks with Clifford Jordan reissued on My Conception, 2008 CD Dameronia, Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt Paris (Soul Note, 1994) – rec. 1989 Dizzy Gillespie, To Bird with Love (Telarc, 1992) Slide Hampton, Roots (Criss Cross, 1985) John Hicks and Elise Wood, Luminous (Nilva, 1985) Andrew Hill, Shades (Soul Note, 1987) J. J. Johnson, J.J. Inc. (Columbia, 1960) Charles McPherson, Con Alma! (Prestige, 1965) Pony Poindexter, Pony's Express (Epic, 1962) Freddie Redd, Lonely City (Uptown, 1989) Dizzy Reece, Manhattan Project (Bee Hive, 1978) Sahib Shihab, The Jazz We Heard Last Summer (Savoy, 1957) Horace Silver, Further Explorations (Blue Note, 1958) Charles Tolliver, Music Inc. (Strata-East, 1971) Mal Waldron, What It Is (Enja, 1982) Joe Zawinul, Money in the Pocket (Atlantic, 1966)