Black Music Month Celebrates: Louis Jordan

Most young people today may never understand the concept of a jukebox. Furthermore, they’d never understand that the king of the jukebox was Louis Jordan. As the precursor to what would become Rock and Roll, Saxophone Blues King, Louis Jordan is not only a pioneer of Black music, but American music as a whole.

Louis Thomas Jordan was born on July 8, 1908 in Brinkley, Arkansas. His father James taught music and was a bandleader and his mother Adell died in his younger years. While primarily being raised his grandmother and his aunt, Jordan’s father began teaching him music at the age of just seven years old. Jordan senior began teaching Louis how to play the saxophone and the clarinet and by the time Louis was a teenager in the 1920s he became a member of the band known as the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, which had previously been headed up by his father.

By the 1930s Jordan had become a full fledged Jazz king and started performing in big name orchestras. By 1938 Louis Jordan created his own band famously known as the Tympany Five. By the early 1940s the nine member band went to Los Angeles, California and started recording soundies, which were three minute long precursors to what would become music videos. Jordan’s earliest hit records would include: "Knock Me a Kiss", "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby", and "Five Guys”. Jordan would eventually start recording and performing with other big name acts such as Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, he even started appearing in full length feature films such as “Meet Miss Bobby Socks” and “Follow The Boys” both released in 1944. As World War 2 began Jordan’s music became part of the soundtrack to the Armed Forces. He was even part of a month long army camp tour.

In 1945 Louis Jordan would craft the song that would become his signature and raise his star power to a whole new level, “Caldonia”.

“Walkin' with my baby, she got great big feet

She long, lean and lanky

And ain't had nothing to eat

But she's my baby

And I love her just the same

Crazy 'bout that woman 'cause Caldonia is her name

Caldonia, Caldonia

What make your big head so hard, ma?

I love you, I love you just the same

I always love you, baby, 'cause Caldonia is your name” - Louis Jordan (Caldonia).

The story of the song “Caldonia” follows our man Louis Jordan going after a girl he is head over heels for, despite warnings from his mother telling him that the woman was no good for him. Though Louis and the Tympany were already unrivaled at this time, this song made them an even bigger sensation and was a massive hit. The song was also a major hit for many other artist who did cover versions of it in the future including: Sugar Chile Robinson and James Brown. “Caldonia” was also crafted into a successful short film that contributed to Jordan’s film career. Many music artist and historians have credited “Caldonia” as being one of the first official Rock and Roll songs ever.

For the next three decades Louis Jordan continued a reign of success as a performing artist up until his death in 1975. He has been honored with countless accolades, has been a major influence many of the greatest artist in the history of music, and his music has created trends and pathways for future artist to craft successful careers of their own. Louis Jordan’s work also broke barriers of color allowing for Black entertainers to be taken to higher platforms to express our artistry. For all that he has created for our culture, Black Music Month Celebrates: Louis Jordan.