Ten Essential Songs: Louis Jordan

Louis Jordan (1908-1975) is the most important and influential American composer, singer and bandleader that you've never heard of. But in the late 1940's he was the King Of The Jukebox, a title he earned with the help of his trusty backing combo the Tympany Five. Jordan was so dominant that he held the #1 spot on Billboard's "Race" (eventually renamed "R&B") charts from August 27, 1946 through May 10, 1947 with five different songs. The "jump blues" style that Jordan pioneered, with its emphasis on small ensembles, catchy up-tempo songs, and sassy street-smart lyrics, created the template for rock and roll when white people simplified the rhythm and twanged up the melodies of songs like "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie." Mr. Jordan was, per many accounts, a difficult man (don't MENTION a fish to him, he warned listeners), which may explain his current semi-obscurity. But at least the King of the Jukebox was rewarded with a jukebox musical, "Five Guys Named Moe."