Esteban Jordan
Esteban "Steve" Jordan ( born February 23, 1939 in Elsa, Texas, † August 13 2010 in San Antonio ) was a Mexican -born American blues, Tejano and Latin jazz accordionist. He became known through dozens albums, television appearances and by David Byrne True Stories documentary as " Jimi Hendrix of the accordion " and " Chicano music superstar ." Not only in Conjunto music style he said, was formative and a pioneer in the development of the accordion.
Life and work
He came as the youngest son of a 17 -member family farm workers from Mexico to Elsa in the valley of the Rio Grande. He received almost no education. He started playing the guitar at the age of seven years and the accordion at age ten. As a 20 - year-old he claimed to dominate twenty instruments. During the 1960s he toured in a band, which also included some of his brethren, by the Spanish-speaking clubs in the West Coast states. As a member of the tour band of the Latin jazz percussionist Willie Bobo in the years 1969/70 he became well known in the states of the East Coast.
In his nearly 50-year musical career from the 1960s to 2010, he took over a hundred singles and dozens of albums, most of which were published by the South Texas record companies on labels such as Falcon, Freddie and Hacienda. In 1976 he had a regional hit with La Camelia. Other single- El Corrido de Johnny successes were El Pachuco and La Polka Loca ( The Crazy Polka). In 1985 he got a record deal with major label RCA Records. His album Turn me loose from 1986 was nominated for a Grammy. Roland Garcia of Hacienda Records dared him to land a million-seller in the mainstream pop market. Also, the television presenter Johnny Canales took him for one of the Hispanics who could make it in the mainstream pop.
The opposite was the unpredictability of its timing ( " famously mercurial "), which allowed him to take some time out fishing more often of one month. Who wanted to book him for a club concert, sometimes had him only find sleuthing. When he stood on the stage, as for the " Channel 4 TV " series or Hank Wangford 's " A to Z of C & W", he impressed. The jazz magazine Down Beat described him as as "one of America's unique musical experiences". He was known worldwide as a distinctive Americana musicians from Texas By David Byrnes film True Stories. His appearance in the "Club Islas " in Austin with the TV band contest against the nordtexanische "Brave Combo" was a highlight of the series.
A particularly versatile musician Jordan could play in many styles of rock, pop, country and the Zydeco from Louisiana. His musicianship developed from the traditional polkas and corridos of the early years continues to Latin Jazz and beyond to a highly experimental, improvisational style of play. With electronic instruments he created a kind of " Chicano psychedelic " sound, the respectful nickname " Jimi Hendrix of the accordion " gave him. From the New York Times jazz critic Ben Ratliff, he was designated 1992 as the "invisible genius of Texas accordion music".
Its necessary due to a medical malpractice at birth become black " pirate" eye patch over his blind right eye was his external characteristic. That earned him the nickname " El Parche " one ( The eyepatch ). A knife- attack in 1973 on a parking lot cost him again almost life. Then he changed largely be previously very hard-drinking and party - joyful personal life. His two marriages but each ended in divorce. When he died in his apartment on Friday 13 August in the district of West Side of San Antonio from complications of liver cancer, he left two sons and three daughters.
Others
One of his proudest moments was the trip to the German Hohner accordion works, who invited him in 1988 when he made an appearance at the Berlin Jazz Festival to have to build an instrument according to your wishes and personally pick them up. The buttons were designed especially flat according to his specifications. This allowed for an even faster game. He gave the production workers a short honor concept that showed what the of them assembled instruments were good. " I Showed 'em what theywere making", he described his experience in 2001 compared to Michael Corcoran.
The Hohner works have for some years a house built according to specifications Jordans "Steve Jordan Tex- Mex Rockordion " in their range of.
Disco Graphic Comments
- Turn me loose (Album) 1986 RCA Records, Grammy nomination in 1987
- The Return Of El Parche (LP, Comp ) Rounder Records 1988
- Texican Badman (Album) Appaloosa 1981
- Sounds from True Stories ( album ) EMI 1986
- Planet Squeeze Box (3 CDs) Ellipsis Arts 1995
- 15 Tex- Mex Conjuntp Classics ( CD) Arhoolie Records 1996