Sheila Jordan

Sheila Jordan, a delightful, very intelligent, and chance-taking vocalist (and one who is masterful at improvising lyrics), was inspired early on by the music of Charlie Parker who became her friend and booster. She gained experience singing in Detroit jazz clubs in the late 1940s, studied with Lennie Tristano in New York in 1951, and was married to one of Parker’s piano players, Duke Jordan, in the 1950s.

Recently a couple of record collectors discovered a copy of an unknown album that Sheila Jordan had recorded on June 10, 1960, two years before Portrait Of Sheila. Comes Love – Lost Session 1960 has the singer joined by an unidentified rhythm section that is quite complementary, swinging, and supportive although Jordan does not remember who they were. She performs one obscurity (“I’m The Girl”) and ten well-known standards.

Thirty-one at the time, surprisingly Sheila Jordan does not sound quite like herself yet on this set. She actually displays a more extroverted personality than one is used to hearing from her, utilizes more vibrato than she would by 1962, and has a slightly higher voice. She takes chances with her phrasing and pushes herself, particularly rhythmically.

Comes Love is a significant historical release and will be particularly enjoyed by those who love Sheila Jordan, giving one a rare peak into her early days.

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1. I'm The Girl
• A2. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
• A3. Ballad Of The Sad Young Men
• A4. Comes Love
• A5. Don't Explain
• A6. Sleeping Bee

• SIDE B
• B1. When The World Was Young
• B2. I'll Take Romance
• B3. These Foolish Things
• B4. Glad To Be Unhappy
• B5. They Can't Take That Away From Me