Steve Jordan (drummer)

For the accordionist, see Esteban Jordan.

Stephen Jordan
Jordan performing in 2006 with the John Mayer Trio
Background information
Birth name	Steve Jordan
Also known as	Steve "Getdwa" Jordan
Born	(1957-01-14) January 14, 1957 New York City, New York, United States
Origin	Bronx, New York, United States
Genres	Rhythm and blues, funk, fusion, rock and roll, blues, Motown soul, jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, record producer, educator
Instrument(s)	Drums, bass guitar, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Virgin, JVC Victor
Website	www.stevejordan.net

Stephen "Steve" Jordan (born January 14, 1957) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, musical director and Grammy Award-winning artist, who has made a name for himself as a producer from the Bronx in New York City. A graduate of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Jordan has additionally released an instructional program for drummers called The Groove is Here.

Best known as a drummer, Jordan has been a member of several bands and ensembles, and has spent a significant amount of his career backing other famous musicians as a sideman and as a session player in recording studios. He has been a member, songwriter and co-producer of Keith Richards and the X-pensive Winos and the John Mayer Trio. He has backed Eric Clapton in his touring band.

Biography

Early years

Jordan was a teenager when he first played in Stevie Wonder's band. Later, he played drums for the Saturday Night Live band in the 1970s. When John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd toured as The Blues Brothers in the early 1980s, Jordan was their drummer, and recorded on their resulting album, credited as Steve "Getdwa" Jordan. He did not, however, appear in the movie of the same name. He also played drums for Paul Shaffer's World's Most Dangerous Band on Late Night with David Letterman from 1982-1986; when he left the show, he was replaced by current Late Show with David Letterman drummer Anton Fig.

X-Pensive Winos

Jordan appearing with Richards' X-Pensive Winos. L to R: Sergey Voronov, Keith Richards, Steve Jordan, Stas Namin

Jordan, along with fellow Shaffer alumnus Anton Fig, appeared on the Rolling Stones' 1986 release Dirty Work when Charlie Watts' participation was stilled due to his substance abuse problems in the mid-80s. In the wake of this work, Keith Richards hired Jordan to play on Aretha Franklin's cover of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" for a film of the same name.

According to Richards, Jordan pressed Richards on the plane ride home from Aretha's recording session in Detroit to be included in the upcoming documentary by Taylor Hackford Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, a tribute to Chuck Berry. Richards had been hoping to include Charlie Watts in the project, but when this proved unfeasible, Jordan was hired and he appeared in many scenes with Berry and Richards.

The success of this project led to Jordan's membership in Keith Richards and the X-pensive Winos, a band that toured and recorded with Richards in 1988 and 1992 for Talk is Cheap and Main Offender, respectively. In fact, Jordan co-produced each record and is credited with songwriting along with Richards. One of these collaborations made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 via the Rolling Stones Steel Wheels album version in 1989: "Almost Hear You Sigh" peaked at number 50 (U.S.) and 31 (U.K.) in December of that year.

John Mayer Trio

Left to Right: Steve Jordan, John Mayer, and Pino Palladino

Jordan is a member of the John Mayer Trio, a blues rock power trio that consists of Jordan, on drums and backing vocals, bassist Pino Palladino and guitarist-singer John Mayer. The group was formed in 2005 by Mayer as a deviation from his pop-acoustic career. The trio released the record Try! on November 22, 2005. The eleven-track live album includes cover songs, such as Jimi Hendrix's "Wait Until Tomorrow" and "I Got A Woman" by Ray Charles, two songs from Mayer's release Heavier Things, as well as new songs written by Mayer, in addition to three songs written by Jordan, Mayer, and Palladino. They are: "Good Love Is On The Way," "Vultures," and "Try." Jordan and Mayer also produced the album together on the Columbia Records label.

The trio also performed on December 8, 2007, in Los Angeles, California at the L.A. Live Nokia Theatre for the 1st Annual Holiday Charity Revue, which raised funds for various Los Angeles related charities. The DVD/CD release, entitled Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles features Palladino on bass and Jordan on drums.

Jordan would later collaborate with Mayer and Charlie Hunter by writing "In Repair," the eleventh track from Mayer's 2006 album Continuum. Jordan also contributed to Mayer's fourth album, "Battle Studies"; videos of the conceptual/recording sessions can be viewed on YouTube.

Producing career

He has recorded with such artists as Don Henley, John Mellencamp, Andres Calamaro, Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Sonny Rollins, BB King, Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, Neil Young, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Kelly Clarkson, and many more. He is featured on James Taylor's 1998 DVD, Live at the Beacon Theatre.

Jordan has evolved into a Grammy Award-winning and nominated producer with Robert Cray's album Take Your Shoes Off and Buddy Guy's Bring 'Em In, respectively. While he has played on countless records, from Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You" to Bruce Springsteen's Devils and Dust, he continues to produce with such works as the Grammy Award winning John Mayer album Continuum, John Scofield's That's What I Say, Possibilities by Herbie Hancock, and 23rd St. Lullaby with Patti Scialfa.

In 2006, Jordan joined Eric Clapton's touring band for Clapton's "European Tour 2006", which included seven sold out shows at the Royal Albert Hall. He continued in Clapton's band as they toured North America in 2007.

In 2008, Jordan produced and played percussion on one track for Los Lonely Boys' third album, Forgiven, at East Side Stages in Austin, Texas.

In 2009, Jordan received another Grammy Award nomination - the Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, for his work on the soundtrack scoring film for the movie Cadillac Records.

In 2013, Jordan produced the Boz Scaggs album Memphis.

The Verbs

Jordan formed a band with his wife, Meegan Voss, and they have toured and recorded under the band name, The Verbs. The music has been described as "The perfect cocktail of girl group, Brit-pop, country, ska and Rock and Roll." They toured Japan in 2006 in support of their first release, And Now... The Verbs. They followed their debut album with Trip, the next release by Jordan and Voss. As in their previous release, this album features Tamio Okuda on lead guitars, Pino Palladino on bass and additional classic guitar work by Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar.

Discography

Steve Jordan, left, with drum kit, performing with Eric Clapton
The Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2007

With The Blues Brothers

• Briefcase Full of Blues, 1978
• Made in America, 1980
• Best of the Blues Brothers, 1981
• Dancin' Wid Da Blues Brothers, 1983
• Everybody Needs the Blues Brothers, 1988
• The Definitive Collection, 1992
• The Very Best of The Blues Brothers, 1995
• The Blues Brothers Complete, 2000
• The Essentials, 2003

As sideman

With Patti Austin

• Havana Candy (CTI, 1977)

With Don Pullen

• Montreux Concert (Atlantic, 1977)

With Booker T. & the M.G.'s

• That's The Way It Should Be (Columbia, Acadia 1994)

With Cat Stevens

• Back to Earth (A&M, Island)

With Keith Richards

• Talk Is Cheap (Virgin, 1988)
• Main Offender (Virgin, 1992)

With Neil Young

• Landing on Water (Geffen, 1986)

Equipment

Jordan plays signature Yamaha Drums and Paiste Cymbals. He has signature drumsticks from Vic Firth.

Acoustic Drums:Yamaha Maple Custom

• MSD-1315 14"x6.5" Snare Drum
• MBD-1324 24"x16" Bass Drum
• MTT-1312J 12"x8" Tom
• MFT-1314 14"x14" Floor Tom
• MFT-1318 18"x16" Floor Tom
• MSD-1365SJ 13"x6.5" Steve Jordan Signature Snare Drum Club Jordan Cocktail Drum System.

Paiste:

• 17" Signature Traditionals Thin Crash (as hi-hat top)
• 17" Signature Dark Energy Crash (as hi-hat bottom)
• 22" 2002 Crash
• 22" Traditionals Light Ride
• 20" Traditionals Light Ride

Drumheads: Jordan endorses Remo drumheads and has used Coated Emperors and Coated Ambassadors plus their Smooth White counterparts.

Drumsticks: "Steve's Signature stick is light and long for great touch and sound around the drums and cymbals. In hickory. L = 16 ½"; Dia. = .525" Jordan discussed their use in a video interview for Vic Firth.

External links

• Steve Jordan at IMDb
• www.stevejordan.net
• Steve Jordan video interview
• Vic Firth interview including Steve Jordan - contains the clips of the video interview of Jordan about the span of his career so far
• Gigging Drummer Steve Jordan Videos, Bio, and Drum Charts
• Interview with Steve Jordan
• Steve Jordan's Biography at Drummerworld.com (a public catalogue of professional international drummers).