Featured Artist: Marlon Jordan

CD Title: You Don't Know What Love Is

Year: 2005

Record Label: Louisiana Red Hot Records

Style: Straight-Ahead / Classic

Musicians: Marlon Jordan (trumpet); Stephanie Jordan (vocals); Kent Jordan (piccolo); Edward “Kidd” Jordan (saxophone); Alvin Batiste (clarinet); Mark Chatters (trumpet); Mark Chatters (trumpet); Maynard Chatters (trombone); Darrell Lavigne (piano); David Pulphus (bass); Troy Davis (drums); Jonathan Bloom (percussion); Rachel Jordan, Amy Thiaville (violin); Dimitri Bychko (cello)

Review: After Marlon Jordan made a splash in the jazz recording industry when he was only 17—the age at which he signed a contract with Columbia Record, thereafter recordings a series of three albums over the four years between 1988 and 1992. Plus, he gained much acclaim as a member of Jazz Futures sponsored by George Wein, a group in which Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, Antonio Hart, Benny Green and Mark Whitfield played as well. But after a subsequent recording on Arabesque, Marlon’s Mode, Jordan appeared to disappear, and his appearances mostly were limited to his home town of New Orleans.

Now, not only Marlon Jordan, but also The Jordans, have come out full force to make up for lost time on how most recent album, You Don’t Know What Love Is. Jordan’s, or the Jordans’, CD leverages the opportunity to record on Louisiana Red Hot Records by including not only the immediate Jordan family on it, but also the extended family as well. For, like the Marsalises, the Paytons or the Nevilles, the Jordans are one of New Orleans’ musical dynasties in which numerous family members excel in creating their own distinctive styles of music, despite the common family heritages. First, there’s the matriarch, Edvidge (Chatters) Jordan.

Edvidge Jordan (piano) > Edward “Kidd” Jordan (avant-garde saxophone) > Kent Jordan (flute) + Marlon Jordan (trumpet) + Stephanie Jordan (vocals) + Rachel Jordan (classical violin)

Plus, Edvidge is the sister of trombonist Maynard Chatters, who is the father of trumpeter Mark Chatters, and she is the sister-in-law of clarinetist Alvin Batiste, who married Edith Chatters. And Edvidge is the aunt of percussionist Jonathan Bloom.

The point of that discussion of genealogy is that all of the musicians named in the previous two paragraphs appear on You Don’t Know What Love Is, though the continuity of the recording is Marlon’s forceful presence on trumpet.

Despite the family connections, getting together all of the related musicians of You Don’t Know What Love Is wasn’t as easy a task as would be expected. First of all, Kidd Jordan was reluctant to participate in the recording, perhaps perceiving that his free jazz style isn’t the same as that of other family members. But Marlon perceptively starts the CD with “My Favorite Things,” nudging his father toward an aggressive solo throughout much of the track by starting it on open trumpet with intimations of metrical freedom. Similarly, Marlon’s sister Stephanie Jordan had aspired to be a singer, but never performed publicly until 1991, when sister Rachel dared her to go on stage in Washington D.C. to sing "I'll Remember April" with Kent. Stephanie’s secret singing ability suddenly was apparent, and she has sung ever since. Now, Marlon has included Stephanie as a co-feature on You Don’t Know What Love Is.

Alternating between trumpet leads on, for example, “All Blues” (which includes Baptiste on clarinet) and Stephanie’s infectious singing on tunes like “Joey,” the CD contains sufficient variety to maintain interest throughout—proof of the varied talents of the Jordan/Chatters families as each member contributes toward the whole. In addition, Marlon’s trumpeting, chameleon-like, assumes the colors of the music he plays, from the mutes Miles Davis’ references of “All Blues” to the reverberating lushness of “Flamingo,” made successful by Marlon’s wide open tone supported by strings.

Now, after years of his absence from recording activity, Marlon Jordan has released the album that he has been thinking about for at least a decade: a production that allows each of his family members to participate as a document of their talents…and for that reason one that’s as valuable to the Jordan/Chatters family members as a family portrait would be.

Tracks: My Favorite Things, All Blues, You Don’t Know What Love Is, Joey, Flamingo, Portrait, You Leave Me Breathless, Now Baby Or Never

Record Label Website: http://www.louisianaredhot.com

Artist's Website: http://www.marlonjordan.com

Listen or Buy: Amazon.com

Reviewed by: Don Williamson

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