Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Sheila Jordan [videorecording].

Author

Jordan, Sheila.

Publication

2008.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Ruffin, Mark.
• City University of New York. City College.
• Jazz at Lincoln Center (Organization)
• Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Description

1 videodisc (59 min.) : sd., col.; 4 3/4 in.

Summary

Sheila Jordan speaks with Mark Ruffin about recently celebrating her 80th birthday at Dizzy Gillespie's club Coca Cola; her string quartet project "Heartstrings" arranged by Alan Broadbent; how she was born in a murphy bed in Detroit to a mother who could not take care of her (she was only seventeen); growing up in Pennsylvania with her grandparents in coal mining country; how she has been a singer since childhood and used to go crazy for Fred Astaire movies; scrubbing a woman's floor to save money so she could walk two miles to see the Astaire movies; finally leaving Pennsylvania at age 14 to live with her mother in Detroit; knowing she wanted to be a jazz singer upon hearing her first recording of Charlie Parker (Bird) and the Reboppers; hearing "Now's The Time" and how that moment changed her life; other bebop singers like Betty Carter - hip players like Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris and Kenny Burrell in Detroit; her heroes at that time being Milt Jackson who was out playing with Dizzy and Hank Jones; Detroit having a lot of star power; why she moved to New York City; the police being after her for spending time in jazz clubs; prejudice and racism in Detroit; being in Skeeter, Mitch, and Jean - a singing group that wrote lyrics to bebop tunes and followed Charlie Parker; first meeting Charlie Parker in Detroit and how he invited the group to join him; Frank Foster as first boyfriend; meeting Duke Jordan, her future husband; why she moved to New York City; studying with Lennie Tristano at the suggestion of Max Roach and Charles Mingus; her marriage to Duke Jordan and their daughter, Traci; always finding a place to sing; the importance of keepign her day job; working to support music until it could support her; her job in the village at Page 3, singing two nights a week; her friendship with George Russell; story about taking George Russell to Pennsylvania and singing "You Are My Sunshine" at a biergarten in her hometown; how that visit to Pennsylvania led to George's rearrangement of "Sunshine" which became her first recording put out on "The Outer View"; "Sunshine" leading to her first contract with Blue Note; being the only woman, white person, and singer on Blue Note; "Portrait of Sheila" in 1962; Traci taking priority; her first bass/voice performance in Toledo with Charles Mingus; her daughter Traci's career working for artists like Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Boyz II Men, Destiny's Child, and serving as a senior vice president at Motown Records; her relationship with pianist Steve Kuhn - starting as a trio and becoming a duo; collaboration with Mark Murphy, "One for Junior"; teaching - starting in the 1970s; teaching a vocal jazz workshop at City College and then staying on as a professor there until 2007; how she finally got out of her office job in 1987 at the age of 58; how every year life gets a little better; importance of dedication; famous students such as Tierney Sutton, K.D. Lang, and Paula Cole; her new record "Winter Sunshine"; the 25th Anniversary of Just In Time Records in Montreal; how she never listens to her own music; not being out to prove anything; keeping Bird's name and music alive; the Mary Lou Williams Women In Jazz Award; telling stories and improvising lyrics; what is next including: traveling to Germany, London, Japan; how fortunate she feels to have all of this work at her age; never giving up.

Series Statement

Duke jazz histories

Uniform Title

Duke jazz histories.

Subjects

• Broadbent, Alan, 1947-
• Russell, George, 1923-2009
• Jordan, Sheila > Interviews
• Singers > Interviews
• Parker, Charlie, 1920-1955 > Influence
• Jazz musicians > Interviews
• Detroit (Mich.)

Note

• Interview with Sheila Jordan conducted by Mark Ruffin, in New York, N.Y., on Dec. 16, 2008.

Event (note)

• This interview was videotaped at the Oral History Studio of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City on December 16, 2008, by Penny Ward.

Funding (note)

• Recording made possible by a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

System Details (note)

• DVD.

Call Number

*LDV 1237

OCLC

314880473

Author

Jordan, Sheila. Interviewee

Title

Interview with Sheila Jordan [videorecording].

Imprint

2008.

Series

Duke jazz histories

Duke jazz histories.

Event

This interview was videotaped at the Oral History Studio of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City on December 16, 2008, by Penny Ward.

Funding

Recording made possible by a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

System Details

DVD.

Added Author

Ruffin, Mark. Interviewer

City University of New York. City College.

Jazz at Lincoln Center (Organization)

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Research Call Number

*LDV 1237