Clifford Jordan

Clifford Laconia Jordan (September 2, 1931 – March 27, 1993) was an American jazz tenor saxophone player and composer. Originally from Chicago, Jordan later moved to New York City, where he recorded extensively in addition to touring across both Europe and Africa. He recorded and performed with Art Farmer, Horace Silver, Max Roach, J.J. Johnson, and Kenny Dorham, among others. In later years, performed with Cedar Walton's quartet Eastern Rebellion, and led his own groups, including a big band.

Early life and career

Jordan took music lessons from a young age, originally playing piano and later taking up the saxophone at age 13. Jordan attended DuSable High School, where his classmates included John Gilmore and Johnny Griffin. He originally got his start leading a dance band before breaking into the rhythm and blues scene, as well as playing bebop with the likes of Max Roach and Sonny Stitt.

New York City and touring

After moving to New York City in 1957, Jordan recorded three albums for Blue Note Records, the first of which, '' Blowing in from Chicago'' featured Horace Silver and Art Blakey as well as his former schoolmate Gilmore as co-leader. A series of notable collaborations followed - Jordan joined Silver's band, co-led a group with Kenny Dorham, and recorded as a sideman with J.J Johnson, Lee Morgan, Eric Dolphy, and Joe Zawinul, to name a few. In 1960, Jordan began performing with Cedar Walton, a collaboration that would continue for the remainder of Jordan's career.

Jordan re-joined Eric Dolphy in 1964 as part of the Charles Mingus Sextet, which toured Europe and produced a number of live albums. Jordan later toured Africa with Randy Weston for the US State Department. Jordan briefly moved to Belgium in 1969, and during this time he frequently performed in Paris.

Return to New York and later career

Jordan moved back to New York City in late 1969, signing a deal with Strata East Records to record a trio of albums that mostly featured Jordan's own compositions. The last of these, '' Drink Plenty Water'', was recorded in 1974 but remained unreleased until 2023. 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.

In the early 1990s, Jordan began leading a big band in New York City, which would come to be a regular act at Eddie Condon's