Lawrence B. Johnson
The all-new Sheila Jordan, version 80.5
Vocalist Sheila Jordan is, as she announced from the Absopure Waterfront Stage during her set with the Tad Weed Trio, "80 and a half." You would never, ever guess.
Sure, the top notes can be a bit dicey, but the phrasing is so savvy, the improv so unexpected, the middle voice so good that even after Jordan has owned up to her very senior status, it's hard to believe this singer is 80 and a half.
Jordan kicked off her set, played mostly in light rain, with a perky turn through "Humdrum Blues." She then angled her way into Irving Berlin's "How Deep Is the Ocean" with a vamp that served as a brief autobiography for those who might not know: that she was born in Detroit, went to Cass
Tech and had a life-changing moment the first time she heard Charlie Parker on the radio.
Jordan played the crowd with infectious verve. She explained she was about to sing "Lady Be Good," a tune identified with Ella Fitzgerald, slowly -- very slowly -- because only Ella, "the first lady of song and the first lady of jazz," could sing it fast.
To that charming number she added a likewise leisurely stroll through Vernon Duke's "Autumn in New York." She asked if it was raining out there. "Yes!" came the chorused answer. But nobody was moving. This was too much fun, too fine, to let a little sprinkle get in the way.
