Louis Jordan - Swingsation (1999)

When contemporary swing goes looking for its ancestors, the first one to turn up is Louis Jordan, the alto saxophonist-singer-songwriter who created jump blues around 1940 by emphasizing a boogie beat, simplifying swing riffs, and adding his own hyper-kinetic vocals. This entertaining survey of Jordan's work touches on his 1939 beginnings with "Flat Face" and its unusual tympani effects, but it's concentrated on the period from 1946 to 1953. Adding electric guitar and organ to his original formula, Jordan enjoyed tremendous R&B success while creating what would become early rock & roll. The world of Jordan's lyrics is a party that has just been crashed, is about to be raided, or both, as in "House Party," "Saturday Night Fish Fry," and "They Raided the House." Sometimes the party's at a farm, whether with the animal impressions of "Barnyard Boogie" or the counsel of "That Chick's Too Young to Fry." Whatever the locale, Jordan supplies heated, blues-based alto solos and a very lively band. Among the sidemen are key R&B players like organists Bill Doggett and Wild Bill Davis and guitarist Bill Jennings. --Stuart Broomer