Sheila Jordan Part One
– Harvie S On Tap
Get into the music, the upright bass, the collaborative partners for Harvie S.It’s On Tap, a show all about great jazz music.
Welcome to the very first entry of the “On Tap with Harvie S” blog! I am thrillingly broadcasting to you from Sacred Heart University, a place that holds many fond memories of past concerts.
For this debut episode of our new podcast series, I wanted to do something special by celebrating the life, legacy, and music of my dear friend and longtime musical partner, the legendary Sheila Jordan. Joining me in the studio to help reminisce is the fantastic musician and guitarist, Joe Carter, who I’ve had the pleasure of recording with in the past.
In this episode, Joe and I dive deep into our personal histories with jazz. I confess that back in high school—when I was primarily a piano player—I was actually quite skeptical of vocalists. My musical world revolved around the instrumental genius of icons like John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Bill Evans. While I respected greats like Ella and Sarah, singers just weren’t my “cup of tea.” It took a high school friend, a fellow jazz outcast in a school that didn’t appreciate the genre, to change my mind forever.
That change happened during a listening session at my friend’s house. He played me George Russell’s album The Outer View. It started with wild, avant-garde writing that I loved, but then a voice cut through singing “You Are My Sunshine.” It was Sheila Jordan. I was immediately mesmerized. She wasn’t just singing a standard; she was channeling her roots from a poor coal-mining town in Pennsylvania, turning a simple song into a profound emotional experience.
Joe and I discuss how Sheila’s unique sound stems from her approach to music. She has always considered herself more of an instrumentalist than a traditional singer, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker and her former husband, pianist Duke Jordan. This is why, whenever I bring a band together to play with Sheila, my advice is always the same: “Do not play with her like you do with a vocalist; play with her like you’re playing with a horn player.”
We also share some incredible anecdotes about Sheila’s early life, including the fascinating fact that she went to school with actor Charles Bronson, who was so poor at the time he had to wear his sister’s dress to class. It really highlights the grit and authenticity she brings to her art. But perhaps the most ironic story I share is running into that same high school friend years later in Boston. While I was actively touring with Sheila, he had completely forgotten who she was—proving that perhaps I was always destined to be the one making music with her.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as Joe and I enjoyed recording it. It’s a look back at how we discover our heroes and the strange paths life takes to bring us together. Be sure to listen to the full episode to hear these stories and to experience the music, including a look at the track “Baltimore Oriole.” Sit back, relax, and enjoy “On Tap with Harvie S.”