Steve Jordan (drummer)
Steve Jordan is an American drummer and music producer. Currently, he is the drummer for the Rolling Stones. During the 1970s and 1980s, he was a member of the bands for the television shows Saturday Night Live and Late Night with David Letterman.
In the early 1980s, Jordan was a member of the band Eyewitness, along with bandleader Steve Khan on guitar, Anthony Jackson on bass, and Manolo Badrena on percussion. Since the mid-1980s, Jordan has also been a member of the X-Pensive Winos, the side project of the Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. Jordan and Richards have been production and songwriting partners on many of Richards's solo works. In 2005, he became a member of the John Mayer Trio. Jordan also formed the band the Verbs, which he fronts, with his wife Meegan Voss. On August 5, 2021, it was reported that Charlie Watts had elected to sit out the resumption of the US No Filter Tour due to a heart procedure surgery and that Jordan would temporarily replace him on drums. Following Watts' death, he has played with the Stones both live and in studio.
Early life
Jordan attended New York City's High School of Music and Art, graduating in 1974.Jordan was a teenager when he became an honorary member of Stevie Wonder's band WonderLove. He also was a substitute drummer in the band Stuff in 1976 and played with Joe Cocker on his American tour. Later, he played drums for the Saturday Night Live band in the 1970s. When John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd toured as the Blues Brothers in the late 1970s, Jordan was their drummer, and recorded on their resulting albums, credited as Steve "Getdwa" Jordan. He did not, however, appear in the film The Blues Brothers. Jordan also played in the New York 24th Street Band with Will Lee, Clifford Carter, and Hiram Bullock, which later became Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band, which played on Late Night with David Letterman from 1982 to 1986.
Career
X-Pensive Winos and Chuck Berry
Jordan, along with fellow Shaffer alumnus Anton Fig, appeared on the Rolling Stones' 1986 release Dirty Work, playing percussion, not drums, contrary to rumors. Keith Richards then hired Jordan to play on Aretha Franklin's cover of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" for a film of the same name.According to Richards, Jordan kept asking Richards on the plane ride home from the recording session with Franklin in Detroit, to be included in the upcoming documentary by Taylor Hackford Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, a tribute to Chuck Berry. Richards had been hoping to include Charlie Watts in the project but when that proved unfeasible, Jordan was hired and he appeared in many scenes with Berry and Richards. The success of that project led to Jordan's membership in Keith Richards and the X-pensive Winos, a band that toured and recorded three albums, Talk Is Cheap, Main Offender, and Crosseyed Heart. Jordan co-produced all three albums and is credited with songwriting, along with Richards. One of those collaborations made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 via the Rolling Stones Steel Wheels album version in 1989: "Almost Hear You Sigh" peaked at number 50 and 31 in December of that year.
The Verbs
Jordan formed a band with his wife, Meegan Voss, who fronted the all-girl punk bands the PopTarts and the Antoinettes, and they have toured and recorded under the band name the Verbs. They toured Japan in 2007 in support of their first release, And Now... The Verbs. They followed their debut album with Trip, the next release by Jordan and Voss. As in their previous release, this album features Tamio Okuda on lead guitars, Pino Palladino on bass and additional classic guitar work by Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar.Producing and performance career
Jordan has recorded with such artists as Don Henley, John Mellencamp, Andrés Calamaro, Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Sonny Rollins, B.B. King, Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, Neil Young, Donald Fagen, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Kelly Clarkson, and many more. He is featured on James Taylor's 1998 DVD, Live at the Beacon Theatre.Jordan is a Grammy Award-winning and nominated producer with Robert Cray's album Take Your Shoes Off and Buddy Guy's Bring 'Em In, respectively. He has played on Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You" and Bruce Springsteen's Devils and Dust, and he produced the Grammy Award-winning John Mayer album Continuum, John Scofield's That's What I Say, Possibilities by Herbie Hancock, and 23rd St. Lullaby and Play It As It Lays with Patti Scialfa.
Jordan is interviewed on screen, was a musical director, led the house band and appears in performance footage in the 2005 documentary film Make It Funky!, which presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on rhythm and blues, rock and roll, funk and jazz.
In 2006, Jordan joined Eric Clapton's touring band for Clapton's "European Tour 2006", which included seven sold-out shows at the Royal Albert Hall. He continued in Clapton's band as they toured North America in 2007.
In 2008, Jordan produced and played percussion on one track for Los Lonely Boys' third album, Forgiven, at East Side Stages in Austin, Texas.
In 2009, Jordan received another Grammy Award nomination - the Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, for his work on the soundtrack scoring film for the movie Cadillac Records.
In 2013, Jordan produced the Boz Scaggs album Memphis.
John Mayer Trio
Jordan is a member of the John Mayer Trio, a blues rock power trio that consists of Jordan, on drums and backing vocals, bassist Pino Palladino and guitarist-singer John Mayer. The group was formed in 2005 by Mayer as a change from his pop-acoustic career. The trio released the record Try! on November 22, 2005. The 11-track live album includes cover songs, such as Jimi Hendrix's "Wait Until Tomorrow", and "I Got a Woman" by Ray Charles, two songs from Mayer's release Heavier Things, as well as new songs written by Mayer, in addition to three songs written by Jordan, Mayer, and Palladino. They are: "Good Love Is On the Way", "Vultures" and "Try". Jordan and Mayer also produced the album together on the Columbia Records label.The trio also performed on December 8, 2007, in Los Angeles, California at the L.A. Live Nokia Theatre for the 1st Annual Holiday Charity Revue, which raised funds for various Los Angeles related charities. The DVD/CD release, entitled Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles features Palladino on bass and Jordan on drums.
Jordan would later collaborate with Mayer and Charlie Hunter by writing "In Repair", the 11th track from Mayer's 2006 album Continuum. Jordan also contributed to Mayer's fourth album, Battle Studies; videos of the conceptual/recording sessions can be viewed on YouTube.
Super Soul Band
Jordan also belongs to an all-star funk group, that "is redefining the idea of a supergroup." The band consists of Jordan on the drums, Wayne Cobham, Eddie Allen, Clifton Anderson, and Clark Gayton on the horn section. Willie Weeks on bass, Mix Master Mike, Isaiah Sharkey, and Ray Parker Jr. on guitar.The Rolling Stones
On August 5, 2021, it was announced that Jordan would replace Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts on the Stones' 13-date US tour. Watts was first sidelined for health problems and died on August 24, 2021, at the age of 80 after a short illness. Keith Richards recounted in his 2010 autobiography that in the 1980s Watts told him that if he ever wanted to work with another drummer, "Steve Jordan's your man." Jordan would subsequently perform on the group's Hackney Diamonds album and its tour.Discography
With The Blues BrothersBriefcase Full of Blues, 1978Made in America, 1980Best of the Blues Brothers, 1981Dancin' Wid Da Blues Brothers, 1983Everybody Needs the Blues Brothers, 1988The Definitive Collection, 1992The Very Best of the Blues Brothers, 1995The Blues Brothers Complete, 2000The Essentials, 2003As sideman
With Casey AbramsCasey AbramsWith ArcadiaSo Red the Rose
With Ashford & SimpsonIs It Still Good to Ya
With Patti AustinHavana Candy
With Aztec CameraLove
With Bee GeesStill Waters
With George BensonIn Your Eyes
With BeyoncéI Am... Sasha Fierce
With Eric BibbDear America
With Booker T. & the M.G.'sThat's the Way It Should Be
With Ronnie Baker BrooksTimes Have Changed
With Solomon BurkeLike a Fire
With Andrés CalamaroAlta Suciedad
With J. J. Cale and Eric ClaptonThe Road to Escondido
With Felix CavaliereCastles in the Air
With Kelly ClarksonStronger
With Bootsy CollinsTha Funk Capital of the World The Power of the One
With Sean CostelloSean Costello
With CrackerGentleman's Blues
With Robert CrayTake Your Shoes Off Shoulda Been Home In My Soul Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm That's What I Heard
With Steve CropperDedicated – A Salute to the 5 Royales
With Sheryl CrowC'mon, C'mon Threads
With Bob DylanDown in the Groove
With Donald FagenThe Nightfly
With Ricky FantéRewind
With Roberta FlackRoberta
With The FloatersFloat Into the Future
With Robben FordTiger Walk
With Bernard FowlerInside Out
With Aretha FranklinAretha
With Michael Franks The Camera Never Lies
With Jeffrey GainesSomewhat Slightly Dazed
With Debbie GibsonThink with Your Heart
With Vince GillDown to My Last Bad Habit
With Bunky GreenVisions
With Josh GrobanBridges Harmony
With Hall & OatesOur Kind of Soul
With Herbie HancockPossibilities
With Major HarrisHow Do You Take Your Love
With Don HenleyThe End of the Innocence
With Cissy HoustonCissy Houston Face to Face He Leadeth Me
With Phyllis HymanPhyllis Hyman
With Garland JeffreysDon't Call Me Buckwheat Wildlife Dictionary The King of In Between Truth Serum
With Billy JoelRiver of Dreams
With Libby JohnsonAnnabella
With Alicia KeysThe Diary of Alicia Keys As I Am Keys
With Steve Khan EyewitnessEyewitness Modern Times Casa Loco
With B.B. KingDeuces Wild
With K'naanCountry, God or the Girl
With LabelleBack to Now
With Cyndi LauperAt Last
With Bettye LaVetteThings Have Changed Blackbirds LaVette!
With Lori LiebermanLetting Go
With Taj MahalEvolution (The Most Recent)
With Ziggy MarleyDragonfly
With Amanda MarshallTuesday's Child
With Bruno MarsUnorthodox Jukebox
With John MayerHeavier Things Continuum Battle Studies The Search for Everything
With John Mayer TrioTry!
With Van McCoyMy Favorite Fantasy
With MelaniePhonogenic – Not Just Another Pretty Face
With John MellencampCuttin' Heads
With Keb' Mo'The Door BLUESAmericana Moonlight, Mistletoe & You
With Ian MossSoul on West 53rd
With Ivan NevilleIf My Ancestors Could See Me Now Thanks
With The Neville BrothersBrother's Keeper
With Stevie NicksRock a Little
With OdysseyHollywood Party Tonight
With David PaichForgotten Toys
With Sam PhillipsThe Indescribable Wow
With The PretendersGet Close
With Don PullenMontreux Concert
With Nicole RenéeNicole Renée
With Keith RichardsTalk Is Cheap Main Offender Crosseyed Heart
With LeAnn RimesSpitfire One Christmas: Chapter 1 Remnants
With The Rolling StonesHackney Diamonds
With Mark RonsonUptown Special
With Boz ScaggsDig Memphis A Fool to Care
With Helen SchneiderLet It Be Now
With Patti Scialfa23rd Street Lullaby Play It as It Lays
With John ScofieldWho's Who? Electric Outlet That's What I Say: John Scofield Plays the Music of Ray Charles
With John SebastianTar Beach
With Brian SetzerThe Knife Feels Like Justice
With Feargal SharkeyWish
With Bruce SpringsteenDevils & Dust Wrecking Ball
With Candi StatonChance
With Mike SternUpside Downside
With Cat StevensBack to Earth
With Rod StewartSoulbook
With Andrew StrongStrong
With James TaylorNew Moon Shine
With TotoFahrenheit
With Bonnie TylerFaster Than the Speed of Night
With Peter WolfFool's Parade
With Neil YoungLanding on Water
With Steven Van Zandt