Steve Jordan

b. 15 January 1919, New York, USA, d. 13 September 1993, Alexandria, Virginia, USA. Jordan studied guitar with Allan Reuss who had played with Benny Goodman's band. Steve performed with the big bands of Will Bradley and Artie Shaw before the war took him off for service in the navy. On his return he played in a series of big bands— the Casa Loma Orchestra, Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey and Boyd Raeburn. In the early '50s Jordan became a member of the NBC production staff as well as providing the guitar in the rhythm section on many of the sessions produced by John Hammond. Given his role and ability as rhythm guitarist, he has often been compared to guitarist Freddie Green with Count Basie's Orchestra. After completing three years with Benny Goodman in the mid-50s he worked more regularly as a tailor. It was only in 1965 he returned to full-time music with the band of Tommy Gwaltney at Blues Alley in Washington.