Louis Jordan

小簡(jiǎn)介
Louis Jordan是最受人們喜愛(ài)的一位令人興奮的中音薩克斯管演奏家，一位天才歌手，同時(shí)也是一位讓人難以忘懷的表演者。他領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的“泰姆帕尼”五人樂(lè)隊(duì)將搖擺樂(lè)和節(jié)奏布魯斯兩種音樂(lè)形式有機(jī)地聯(lián)系起來(lái)。
從1941年到1953年，Louis Jordan先后錄制了幾十張熱門(mén)唱片，這些唱片為他建立起極高的聲譽(yù)。在種族隔離政策盛行的年代，他與其他的出現(xiàn)在音樂(lè)演出和電影中的黑人音樂(lè)家不同，他未被迫演出那些受壓迫的湯姆大叔類(lèi)型的角色或者失敗者。事實(shí)上，在大多數(shù)情況下，他都是以主角的身份出現(xiàn)，總是想方設(shè)法出困境，積極樂(lè)觀地面對(duì)生活中的挫折，并最終取得成功。
喬丹的父親是著名的“兔子腳”滑稽說(shuō)唱團(tuán)的團(tuán)長(zhǎng)，他教會(huì)喬丹吹奏簧樂(lè)器，是喬丹最早的音樂(lè)啟蒙老師。喬丹跟隨父親巡回演出于全國(guó)各地，從很小的時(shí)候起，他就開(kāi)始了職業(yè)藝人的生涯。在成為了Chick Webb管弦樂(lè)隊(duì)的一員之前，他曾經(jīng)在幾支并不出名的準(zhǔn)州樂(lè)隊(duì)中工作過(guò)。
Chick Webb樂(lè)隊(duì)是喬丹參加的第一支成功的樂(lè)隊(duì)，這給了他更多的在觀眾面前表現(xiàn)自己的機(jī)會(huì)。Chick Webb的樂(lè)隊(duì)人才濟(jì)濟(jì)此時(shí)技藝尚未成熟的喬丹，沒(méi)能獲得任何的獨(dú)奏的空間，以展示自已的才華。其后的幾份短期的工作，情況大致也是如此，在范茨·Waller和凱瑟爾·馬歇爾的樂(lè)隊(duì)中，他一直扮演的是次要角色。
1939年是喬丹音樂(lè)生涯的轉(zhuǎn)折點(diǎn)，這一年里，他組建起“泰姆帕尼”五人樂(lè)隊(duì)。在這支以他為主要角色的樂(lè)隊(duì)中，他成為了真正的大明星，他的樂(lè)隊(duì)還連續(xù)推出了一系列熱門(mén)曲。
Louis Jordan的形象出現(xiàn)在多部影片之中，其中除了同喬治·摩菲合作的《跟著男孩們》之外算是一部較大的制作之外，其余大都是一些低成本的影片。影片的放映對(duì)象主要是黑人觀眾，對(duì)于他們來(lái)說(shuō)，Louis Jordan的吸引力不亞于克拉克·蓋博。他當(dāng)年拍攝的許多優(yōu)秀的影片都被收入了“陳年佳釀爵士經(jīng)典”公司出品的專(zhuān)題錄像帶中，人們從中一睹他當(dāng)年的風(fēng)采。
1951年，路易期·喬丹解散了自己的樂(lè)隊(duì)，在一段時(shí)期內(nèi)，他再也沒(méi)能連續(xù)推出系列熱門(mén)曲。盡管他仍然活躍在爵士音樂(lè)界的第一線，伴隨著搖滾樂(lè)的興起，以及他同德卡唱片公司合同的結(jié)束，他發(fā)覺(jué)自己已經(jīng)成為了一位過(guò)時(shí)的明星。在這個(gè)時(shí)期，他曾經(jīng)為阿拉丁唱片公司錄制了二十幾首歌曲，這些歌曲本身無(wú)可挑剔，甚至在編曲和藝術(shù)性方面非常出色。然而由于時(shí)過(guò)境遷，雖然這些作品的水平達(dá)到甚至超過(guò)了他早期音樂(lè)的水平，但是聽(tīng)眾的態(tài)度卻反應(yīng)冷淡，這正是使許多喜愛(ài)路易斯·喬丹的爵士樂(lè)迷感到費(fèi)解的地方。這正好反映了一個(gè)事實(shí)，那就是那些影響和推動(dòng)了搖滾樂(lè)出現(xiàn)和早期發(fā)展的音樂(lè)家，在搖滾樂(lè)誕生之后，很快就被追逐時(shí)尚的音樂(lè)迷們忘記了。路易斯·喬丹就是一位不幸被人遺忘的大師。
在生命的最后幾十年，Louis Jordan從未停止過(guò)自己的演唱。他曾經(jīng)和克里斯·巴伯一道參加巡回演出。
具有諷刺意味的是，在去世之后，喬丹受到歡迎的程度超過(guò)了他生前慘淡經(jīng)營(yíng)的時(shí)期。1992年百老匯上演的歌舞劇《五個(gè)叫莫伊的家伙》取得成功就是一個(gè)最好的例證。這是他生前的作品，在近半個(gè)世紀(jì)后重新搬上舞臺(tái)，依然得到了觀眾的認(rèn)可和評(píng)論界的一致好評(píng)。
by Bill Dahl
Effervescent saxophonist Louis Jordan was one of the chief architects and prime progenitors of the R&B idiom. His pioneering use of jumping shuffle rhythms in a small combo context was copied far and wide during the 1940s.
Jordans sensational hit-laden run with Decca Records contained a raft of seminal performances, featuring inevitably infectious backing by his band, the Tympany Five, and Jordans own searing alto sax and street corner jive-loaded sense of humor. Jordan was one of the first black entertainers to sell appreciably in the pop sector; his Decca duet mates included Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald.
The son of a musician, Jordan spent time as a youth with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and majored in music later on at Arkansas Baptist College. After moving with his family to Philadelphia in 1932, Jordan hooked up with pianist Clarence Williams. He joined the orchestra of drummer Chick Webb in 1936 and remained there until 1938. Having polished up his singing abilities with Webbs outfit, Jordan was ready to strike out on his own.
The saxists first 78 for Decca in 1938, Honey in the Bee Ball, billed his combo as the Elks Rendezvous Band (after the Harlem nightspot that he frequently played at). From 1939 on, though, Jordan fronted the Tympany Five, a sturdy little aggregation often expanding over quintet status that featured some well-known musicians over the years: pianists Wild Bill Davis and Bill Doggett, guitarists Carl Hogan and Bill Jennings, bassist Dallas Bartley, and drummer Chris Columbus all passed through the ranks.
From 1942 to 1951, Jordan scored an astonishing 57 R&B chart hits (all on Decca), beginning with the humorous blues Im Gonna Leave You on the Outskirts of Town and finishing with Weak Minded Blues. In between, he drew up what amounted to an easily followed blueprint for the development of R&B (and for that matter, rock & roll — the accessibly swinging shuffles of Bill Haley & the Comets were directly descended from Jordan; Haley often pointed to his Decca labelmate as profoundly influencing his approach).
G.I. Jive, Caldonia, Buzz Me, Choo Choo Ch Boogie, Aint That Just like a Woman, Aint Nobody Here but Us Chickens, Boogie Woogie Blue Plate, Beans and Cornbread, Saturday Night Fish Fry, and Blue Light Boogie — every one of those classics topped the R&B lists, and there were plenty more that did precisely the same thing. Black audiences coast-to-coast were breathlessly jitterbugging to Jordans jumping jive (and one suspects, more than a few whites kicked up their heels to those same platters as well).
The saxist was particularly popular during World War II. He recorded prolifically for the Armed Forces Radio Service and the V-Disc program. Jordans massive popularity also translated on to the silver screen — he filmed a series of wonderful short musicals during the late 40s that were decidedly short on plot but long on visual versions of his hits (Caldonia, Reet Petite & Gone, Look Out Sister, and Beware, along with countless soundies) that give us an enlightening peek at just what made him such a beloved entertainer. Jordan also cameoed in a big-budget Hollywood wartime musical, Follow the Boys.
A brief attempt at fronting a big band in 1951 proved an ill-fated venture, but it didnt dim his ebullience. In 1952, tongue firmly planted in cheek, he offered himself as a candidate for the highest office in the land on the amusing Decca outing Jordan for President. Even though his singles were still eminently solid, they werent selling like they used to by 1954. So after an incredible run of more than a decade-and-a-half, Jordan moved over to Eddie Mesners Los Angeles-based Aladdin logo at the start of the year. Alas, time had passed the great pioneer by — Dad Gum Ya Hide Boy, Messy Bessy, If I Had Any Sense, and the rest of his Aladdin output sounds great in retrospect, but it wasnt what young R&B fans were searching for at the time. In 1955, he switched to RCAs short-lived X imprint, where he tried to remain up-to-date by issuing Rock N Roll Call.
A blistering Quincy Jones-arranged date for Mercury in 1956 deftly updated Jordan s classics for the rock & roll crowd, with hellfire renditions of Let the Good Times Roll, Salt Pork, West Virginia, and Beware benefiting from the blasting lead guitar of Mickey Baker and Sam The Man Taylors muscular tenor sax. There was even time to indulge in a little torrid jazz at Mercury; The JAMF, from a 1957 LP called Man, Were Wailin, was a sizzling indication of what a fine saxist Jordan was.
Ray Charles had long cited Jordan as a primary influence (he lovingly covered Jordans Dont Let the Sun Catch You Crying and Early in the Morning), and paid him back by signing Jordan to the Genius Tangerine label. Once again, the fickle public largely ignored his worthwhile 1962-64 offerings.
Lounge gigs still offered the saxman a steady income, though, and he adjusted his on-stage play list accordingly. A 1973 album for the French Black & Blue logo found Jordan covering Mac Davis I Believe in Music (cant get much loungier than that!). A heart attack silenced this visionary in 1975, but not before he acted as the bridge between the big band era and the rise of R&B.
His profile continues to rise posthumously, in large part due to the recent acclaimed Broadway musical Five Guys Named Moe, based on Jordans bubbly, romping repertoire and charismatic persona.