The Jordan family is an influential musical family based in New Orleans. The children of avant-garde saxophonist Sir Edward “Kidd” Jordan—Stephanie, Rachel, and Marlon Jordan—naturally gravitated toward composing and performing jazz and classical music. Stephanie, a jazz vocalist, has a voice that resembles the great ladies of jazz. She has mastered the art of interpreting jazz ballads as well as singing and swinging over big band horns without missing a beat. At her performance for Hurricane Katrina Relief at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Stephanie was singled out by critics as “a real find, with a fury of modern soul that leaves audiences in awe.” Rachel, a classical violinist, is a member of ROCO (River Oaks Chamber Orchestra) and a former member of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. She joins her siblings with a unique style of improvisation that inspires and enlightens. Marlon, a trumpet prodigy, was the youngest person signed to the CBS Jazz label at 15 years of age. His soulful sound and fiery techniques are featured on multiple recordings. Marlon toured with the legendary Miles Davis and has performed as a soloist at major jazz festivals worldwide. Music Alive Ensemble is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and presenting artists based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The founder, Rachel Jordan, a graduate of the esteemed Peabody Conservatory of Music, has a vision to fuse classical, jazz, and traditional music. For over 20 years, Music Alive Ensemble has engaged communities in New Orleans through cultural exchange, performances, and educational workshops. To learn more about the mission of Music Alive Ensemble, please visit musicaliveno.org.

Rachel Jordan Bio

Rachel Jordan, currently Orchestra Director at Benjamin Franklin School. A member of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in Houston, Texas. A member of the James Carter Quartet at Loyola University in New Orleans has served as professor of violin at Jackson State University, Adjunct faculty at Xavier University, Southern University, and Dillard University in New Orleans. Ms. Jordan was also a member of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in New Orleans for 12 years. 

Ms. Jordan received both her Bachelor of Music, her Master of Music from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins university in Baltimore, Maryland where she studied with Berl Senofsky. 

Rachel has performed with her siblings for Jazz at Lincoln Center Higher Ground Hurricane Relief benefit concert, as well as numerous concerts throughout the United States. Ms. Jordan also performs on and is the executive producer of the Marlon Jordan featuring Stephanie Jordan cd titled “You Don’t Know What Love Is.” In addition, Ms. Jordan co-manages J Group Consulting, a family music management entity. 

Stephanie Jordan Bio

Jazz at Lincoln Center notes, "every so often a new voice stands up and proclaims itself, but few do so with such supreme depth and understated soul." Stephanie Jordan sings jazz standards from the Big Band and Modern Jazz era. Jordan is the 5th performer to emerge from a family of New Orleans bred musicians. As the daughter of the late saxophonist and educator Edward "Kidd" Jordan, Stephanie's musical roots run deep; siblings include flutist Kent Jordan, trumpeter Marlon Jordan, and classical violinist Rachel Jordan. A graduate of Howard University, Jordan is the Choir Director and Vocal Music Instructor in New Orleans at Fannie C. Williams Charter School. Jordan has been an Artist in Residence for the “Yazzy” Theatre of the Performing Arts, youth summer program, in Shreveport, Louisiana. Jordan has also conducted vocal jazz workshops a tCheyney University, Pennsylvania, Bowie State University, Maryland, and Baton Rouge Community College. “Stephanie Jordan Sings a Tributeto Lena Horne: Yesterday When I Was Young” CD honors the legendary Grammy Award winner and film star. Jazz critic Ted Pankenwrites, “Great lyrics permeate this beautifully rendered homage, and Jordan has the skill sets to do them justice—avoice that projects from a whisper to a scream, fluid phrasing... She finds fresh, unfailingly swinging approaches to this well-traveled repertoire, melding into a personal argot elements garnered from such distinguished mentors as Shirley Horn, Abbey Lincoln, NancyWilson—and Lena Horne herself—while sounding like no one other than Stephanie Jordan... Jordan’s sodium pentothal treatment—the truth WILL be told—is evocative of the magical phrasing of Shirley Horn.”

Marlon Jordan Bio

Trumpeter Marlon Jordan was one of the "Young Jazz Lions" who were signed, recorded and promoted on major record labels. He recorded three impressive LPs for Columbia from 1998 to 1992, For You Only; named "one of the best debut albums of the year" by the Washington Post, Learson's Return, and The Undaunted, and one for the Arabesque label entitled Marlon's Mode in 1997.

"The comparisons of Jordan's style to artists such as Charlie Parker and John Coltrane put him in the upper echelon of jazz history. However, he has the resume and the style that would be hard, if not impossible, for anyone of his own generation to beat".

Marlon is the youngest of seven children of musician-educator Kidd and Edvidge Jordan, a classical pianist. "I started out playing saxophone, violin and drums," says Marlon, "but the trumpet was the instrument that stuck with me." Marlon recalls his father literally taking him on the bandstand "even before I really knew how to play. He'd introduce me to all the musicians, and they'd call me up on the stand. They'd say, 'Come on. That's Kidd's son. Let him play."

As he continued his musical studies he had the day to day inspiration of Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, and many others to draw on. The young musicians often hung out at the Jordan household where they would practice music with Kent Jordan and take lessons from Kidd. Marlon graduated from the famed New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts.  More