Emmet Cohen (piano); Russell Hall (double bass); Kyle Poole (drums) & Sheila Jordan (vocals)
Sheila Jordan is ninety three years young. On Monday evening Ms Jordan thought nothing of walking up five flights of stairs to Emmet Cohen's NYC apartment to play a starring role in volume 81 of the pianist's ongoing series of live stream concerts. As usual, Cohen was joined by bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole. Following a sparkling take on Tin Tin Deo, the main man, seated at his Steinway piano, introduced bebop's illustrious torch bearer, Sheila Jordan.
Ms Jordan didn't require a lyric sheet, just a chair to occasionally take the weight off her feet. The stories flowed, as did the compliments (the Cohen trio touring with Jordan could yet happen - Ronnie's? Sage Gateshead?!!!). Kenny Dorham's Fair Weather (Jordan said Dorham was a great singer!), Jordan's The Bird (Charlie Parker her hero), the trio conjuring a terrific take on Round Midnight and more.
The entire online performance proved to be one long highlight. However, to focus on two blues (The Workshop Blues and Sheila's Blues), these moments summed up the brilliance of Cohen's ace trio and the indefatigable, swinging, scatting bebop wonder that is Sheila Jordan. Russell
Set list: Tin Tin Deo; Song of Joy; Humdrum Blues; How Deep is the Ocean?; I Concentrate on You; Fair Weather; The Bird; Confirmation; Lolita; Bird Alone; She Was Young; Dat Dere; 'Round Midnight; The Touch of Your Lips; The Moon is a Harsh Mistress; The Workshop Blues; Sheila's Blues.
2 comments :
A Steinway 5 flights up!
Parker was a good friend to Sheila. He called her 'the gal with the million dollar ears' - and apparently wrote 'Chasing the Bird' for Sheila and Barry Harris. Sheila and Barry were friends as teenagers, and used to hang around in all the Detroit jazz clubs, always looking for where Parker might be playing.
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