The Moods Of Taft Jordan

 

Night Boat

The Moods Of Taft Jordan

His Trumpet And Orchestra

Designed by Emmett McBain

Photo by Jerry White

High Fidelity Custom

Mercury Records MG 20429

1959

The mark "J-22" on the jacket cover is a radio station catalog number.

From the back cover: Jordan is able to transmit so much of himself, only because again he takes the true artist approach. He mastered his horn early. Born in Florence, S. C., Feb. 15, 1915, he made his professional bow at 14 with Ben Jones' orchestra in Norfolk, Va. His greatest early influence was Jones' trumpet man, "Dibu" Keeling, who told him, "Master the low notes and the high ones take care of themselves."

Jordan's first name band experience came with the late Chick Webb's band. While with Webb, Jordan dusted vocally often with Ella Fitzgerald. His one unfulfilled ambition is to  be able to work a tour with Ella again, for when drummer Webb died, Ella fronted his band and Jordan was musical director for several years. When Ella left to do a solo, Duke Ellington put Jordan into a trumpet chair, where he remained for six years. It was only the lure of a steady job in the New York radio studios and the desire to spend more time with his wife, Marcheta, and son, James Taft II, that took him from the royal entourage.

As a New York studio trumpet ace, Jordan has recorded on sessions for over 50 labels and he's appeared consistently on the top radio and TV regs. In 1958, he went to the Brussels' World Fair as lead and jazz trumpet with the Benny Goodman band and returned to the U.S. to work a cross-country tour with BG. The eminent clarinetist, known as a stickler for musical perfection is said to have auditioned 75 trumpet players before settling on Jordan as his brass bulwark. – John Sippel

When Your Lover Has Gone

Night Boat

My Man Cha Cha

Do Anything

September Song

It's The Talk Of The Town

Smoky

Mariquita

Second Balcony Jump