NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans is celebrating the life of a legendary jazz artist, culture bearer, and educator.
Friday morning, Kidd Jordan passed away peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by his family.
“He’s such a great father,” his daughter Stephanie Jordan said. “If he gave you his word, he was there for you. He did so much. He loved you. He loved us in a way that’s indescribable.”
“The thing that made my dad special was he was always in time,” his son Kent Jordan said. “He was always present because when you’re present, you’re in that moment. That’s what he lived for, right.”
Four of Kidd Jordan’s seven children are also professional musicians: Kent on flute, Stephanie as a singer, Rachel as a classical violinist, and Marlon on trumpet.
“He was a massive figure in New Orleans, and he raised a wonderful family of really interesting musicians, too, WWOZ Director of Content Dave Ankers said.
According to Ankers, Jordan’s impact on New Orleans is immense, not just because of his music.
He was head of the Jazz Studies program at Southern University at New Orleans for 34 years.
He taught a generation of now-famous students, including Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Trombone Shorty, Donald Harrison, and Jon Batiste.
“He was an improvisational jazz player which isn’t really what New Orleans is known for so much, but he was a giant of this,” Ankers said. “His philosophy was why play something if it’s already been played before.”
Kent Jordan said pushing the boundaries of avant-garde jazz was his father’s way of keeping the culture fresh and new.
“He was always concerned that sometimes you can get into a rut, and even with himself, I want to discover something new, I need to change the music, I need to change the band.”
Stephanie Jordan remembers taking phone messages for her father.
“They would say we need to talk to Kidd to put a band together for Aretha. We need to talk to Kidd to put together a band for Gladys,” she said. We need to talk to Kidd to put a band together for the O’Jays. The Four Tops.”
“He used to say this all the time, I don’t care if it’s rock and roll, I don’t care if it’s R&B, I don’t care if it’s jazz, I don’t care if it’s Rap, just learn your craft,” Kent Jordan said.
Both Jordans reflected on some of the things they learned from their father.
Stephanie said he taught her the importance of not keeping her audience waiting. Something she learned when she sent her band out on stage as a warmup act.
“The trio went out and played a number out front, and he was standing backstage and said, what’s going on. Why aren’t you on stage.”
Kent said Kidd taught him the importance of practice, practice, practice.
“When you perform, anything can happen. The lights can blow out. The wind could blow your music off your music stand, so you practice not so much because you want perfection, but if something happens, there’s a sense of resiliency that you know what’s going on.”
Kent, Stephanie, and their siblings are now preparing a tribute concert for their father on the first Sunday of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The performance is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. in the WWOZ Jazz Tent.
“It will be magical and beautiful and spiritual, maybe some tears but a lot of joy,” Stephanie Jordan said. “One thing my father enjoyed is being on the stage. He said if I could live 100 years, I could make the saxophone talk. I believe with AI; it just might happen.”
Kidd Jordan was 87 years old.
Funeral arrangements are still in the works.