Stephanie Jordan to perform for New Orleans' Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu’s Inauguration

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New Orleans' jazz vocalist Stephanie Jordan is one of the featured performers for the May 3, 2010 Inauguration of New Orleans' Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu. Jordan is scheduled to perform at 1:45 P.M. during the Celebrate New Orleans Festival which will be held at Lafayette Square across the street from Gallier Hall. Jordan says that she honored to be a part of the festivities. "In tribute of those being sworn in, I will sing an up-tempo version of the tune 'Feeling Good' made famous by Nina Simone. The refrain; 'It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life for me, And I'm feeling good' is symbolic of the sense of euphoria our entire city is experiencing with the onset of new leadership for our government, " adds Jordan.

The Stephanie Jordan Big Band will fill the Celebrate New Orleans Festival stage with her signature sound as she continues her trademark of singing jazz standards. Jordan is the fifth performer to emerge from a family of New Orleans bred musicians. As the daughter of saxophonist Sir Edward "Kidd" Jordan, Stephanie's musical roots run deep. Her siblings include flutist Kent, trumpeter Marlon, and classical violinist Rachel Jordan.

The Inauguration Committee formed to plan and produce is comprised of volunteers with Mrs. Cheryl Landrieu, the wife of Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu, serving as Chair. The full schedule for the day is as follows:

8:30 a.m. - Interfaith Service, St. Louis Cathedral
10:00 a.m. - Inauguration of Elected Officials, Gallier Hall
11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. - Celebrate New Orleans Festival, Lafayette Square
7:00 – 10:00 p.m. - Celebration of Neighborhoods Gala, Mardi Gras World East

"We believe we have a great plan in place for all the citizens of New Orleans, as the city and its new administration ushers in an era of peace and prosperity, " said Mrs. Landrieu. "We are especially pleased that all elected officials will be sworn in at Gallier Hall, in true celebration of 'One Team – One Fight – One Voice – One City.' "

Elected officials being sworn into office on May 3 includes; Mitch Landrieu, Mayor; Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson and Arnie D. Fielkow, Councilmembers-at-Large; Susan G. Guidry, Councilmember, District A; Stacy Head, Councilmember, District B; Kristin Gisleson Palmer, Councilmember, District C; Cynthia Hedge Morrell, Councilmember, District D; Jon D. Johnson, Councilmember, District E; Marlin N. Gusman, Sherriff of Orleans Parish; Dale N. Atkins, Clerk of Civil District Court; Arthur A. Morrell, Clerk of Criminal District Court; and Dr. Frank Minyard, Coroner of Orleans Parish.

Stephanie Jordan's vocal style has been described as having "impeccable diction, dead-center pitch, and a personal point of view . . . while drawing independent conclusions about tempo, phrasing, and dynamics."

Jordan earned acclaim for her appearance at a Hurricane Katrina relief concert hosted by New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center. JazzTimes Magazine writes "Stephanie Jordan, a standout here, was the real discovery of the evening . . . Singing with a clarity of diction that recalled Nat "King" Cole . . ."

Jordan has performed at the private celebration 'Oprah Winfrey and Friends of Susan Taylor' at New York City's ESPACE in honor of Susan Taylor's 37 years of service to Essence magazine. She was invited specifically to sing Susan's favorite jazz tune, Here's to Life. Stephanie has turned the tune most identified with her mentor Shirley Horn into her signature song.

The Washington Post boasts of her Kennedy Center performance, "Contributing intimate and thoroughly enjoyable interludes were . . . A poised, soulfully articulate vocalist, Jordan turned in a performance that warmly evoked the influence of Abbey Lincoln, Shirley Horn, Carmen McRae and other jazz greats."

Stephanie and Marlon Jordan embark during the fall of 2005 as 'Jazz Ambassadors' on a European Tour sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and Jazz at Lincoln Center to thank the people of Europe for their support of New Orleans and the Gulf Region following Hurricane Katrina. The countries included Bucharest, Germany, Lithuania and Ukraine.

Ms. Jordan performed the national anthem with Branford Marsalis at the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. "Stephanie Jordan set the anthem on a slow burn Sunday night (Feb 17, 2008), delivering the most smoldering rendition of the song since Marvin Gaye performed it at another NBA All-Star Game more than 20 years ago... Another blazing light in our constellation" wrote Chris Rose of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

She has appeared live on NPR Talk of the Nation, the Kennedy Center, Jazz Standard New York, Central Park, Marians Jazzroom in Bern, Switzerland, St. Croix Blue Bay Jazz Fest, Polk Theatre in Lakeland, Florida, Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge, Chicago JazzFest Heritage, Glenwood Springs, Co., the New Orleans Ladies of Jazz, Adagio's Jazz Club in Savannah, Hayti Heritage Center in Durham, Sweet Lorraine's in New Orleans and is a regular at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

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