Stephanie Jordan makes her Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro debut

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Internationally acclaimed New Orleans' jazz vocalist Stephanie Jordan makes her Snug Harbor debut on Saturday, June 30, 2012 for two shows at 8:00 pm & 10:00 pm. The Stephanie Jordan Jazz Ensemble will perform tunes from her recently released CD on her Vige Music label, "Stephanie Jordan Sings a Tribute to the Fabulous Lena Horne; Yesterday When I Was Young" which honors the legendary Grammy Award winner who starred in many films and whose one-woman show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music (1981), was hailed as her masterpiece.

Located at 626 Frenchmen Street in the French Quarters, Snug Harbor has provided the best in live jazz for over 30 years. The limited cabaret type seating guarantees an intimate musical experience. For this performance, Jordan will be joined by Arranger and Emmy Award-winner Mike Esneault on piano; Marlon Jordan on trumpet; Joe Dyson on drums; Steve Suter on trombone; and Nori Naraoka on bass. Admission is $25; seats may be reserved by calling Snug Harbor at 504-949-0696.

Noted jazz critic Ted Panken writes, "Great lyrics permeate this beautifully rendered homage, and Jordan has the skill sets to do them justice-a voice that projects from a whisper to a scream, impeccable diction, dead-center pitch, 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, Nancy Wilson-and Lena Horne herself-while sounding like no one other than Stephanie Jordan. As she aptly puts it, "it's a tribute, not a copy."

The album offers Jordan a magnificent platform on which to showcase her exuberant spirit and abundant talent, but also contains an autobiographical component. The back story starts in the spring of 1983, when Horne visited New Orleans for the third and final time, bringing her one-woman show to the Saenger Theater for several weeks. The contractor was Jordan's father, Edward "Kidd" Jordan-best known as an outcat improviser who navigates the interstellar spaces of late period John Coltrane, but also a distinguished educator and first-call session musician. He procured tickets for his family.

"I have witnessed hundreds of performances, by a lot of big-name singers and that one never left me, " says Jordan.

"That night was the first time I'd ever witnessed a true jazz singer with everything-the fame, the fortune, the beauty, the style, the wit, the charm, the big band." Jordan continues. "After she did some subtle things where she talked about her life, she sang 'From This Moment On, ' which blew me away. The whole theater was on edge. Then, when she sang 'Yesterday When I Was Young, ' everyone jumped up and erupted. I had never witnessed one person on stage send an audience into frenzy like that. It was like, 'Oh! This is jazz singing, for real . . .'"

In addition to being available locally at Louisiana Music Factory and Jim Russell Records, the CD is available for download at iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon.com and other online stores.

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