Lewis Jordan's Contributions to America's Popular Music and Culture
Session Title
Representation, Equity and Lived Experiences
Faculty Mentor
Tracy Patterson, Ph.D.
College
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Department
Music
Abstract
The end of the swing era paved the way for genres like rock and roll and rhythm and blues. While musicians like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, and Elvis Presley are easily identifiable and known for their contributions to American popular music and culture, there are numerous artists that are left out of the spotlight. Singer, saxophonist, and bandleader, Lewis Jordan, was instrumental in connecting the swing era of the 1930s-1940s to rhythm and blues of the 1940s-1950s. In this presentation, Mr. Hamilton will discuss the contributions of Mr. Jordan, highlighting his unique use of instrumentation, style, improvisation, and singing. By exploring Lewis' borrowed elements of the jazz big band and pioneering innovations that helped develop rhythm and blues, Hamilton will show the importance of Jordan's contributions to music history. Hamilton, a saxophonist himself, will conclude the presentation by performing one of Jordan's saxophones solos.
Previously Presented/Performed?
Winthrop University Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors, Rock Hill, SC, April 2023.
Type of Presentation
Oral presentation
Start Date
15-4-2023 12:00 PM
Lewis Jordan's Contributions to America's Popular Music and Culture
The end of the swing era paved the way for genres like rock and roll and rhythm and blues. While musicians like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, and Elvis Presley are easily identifiable and known for their contributions to American popular music and culture, there are numerous artists that are left out of the spotlight. Singer, saxophonist, and bandleader, Lewis Jordan, was instrumental in connecting the swing era of the 1930s-1940s to rhythm and blues of the 1940s-1950s. In this presentation, Mr. Hamilton will discuss the contributions of Mr. Jordan, highlighting his unique use of instrumentation, style, improvisation, and singing. By exploring Lewis' borrowed elements of the jazz big band and pioneering innovations that helped develop rhythm and blues, Hamilton will show the importance of Jordan's contributions to music history. Hamilton, a saxophonist himself, will conclude the presentation by performing one of Jordan's saxophones solos.
