Steve Jordan Biography

Steve Jordan is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and music producer from New York City. He is a graduate of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and has been a session musician for a wide range of artists. Recently, he released an instructional program for drummers called The Groove is Here.

Jordan played drums for the Saturday Night Live band during the 1970s. When John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd toured as The Blues Brothers in the early 1980s, Jordan was their drummer; however, he did not appear in the movie of the same name. He was also the first drummer (before Anton Fig) in the Paul Shaffer-led "World's Most Dangerous Band", the live studio band for the Late Night with David Letterman show on NBC. Jordan, along with fellow Shaffer alumnus Anton Fig, appeared on the Rolling Stones' 1986 release Dirty Work when Charlie Watts' participation was stilled due to his substance abuse problems in the mid-80's. In the wake of this work, Keith Richards hired Jordan to play on Aretha Franklin's cover of Jumpin' Jack Flash for a film of the same name.

According to Richards, Jordan pleaded on the plane ride home from Aretha's recording session 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 this proved unfeasible, Jordan was hired and he appeared in many scenes with Berry and Richards (in June 2006, a new and improved version of the film called Hail, Hail will be released ([1]) on DVD.

The success of this project led to Jordan's appearances with "Keith Richards and the X-Pensive Winos", a band that toured and recorded with Richards in 1988 and 1992 for Talk is Cheap and Main Offender, respectively. In fact, Jordan co-produced each record and is credited with songwriting along with Richards. One of these 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 39 in December of that year.

He has recorded with such artists as Don Henley, John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan, BB King, Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow and many more. He has evolved into a Grammy Award winning producer with Robert Crays' album Take Your Shoes Off" and the nominated "Bring 'Em In" by Buddy Guy. While he has played on countless hits, from Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You" to Bruce Springsteen's "Devils and Dust", he continues to produce with such works as the John Mayer Trio album "Try", the John Mayer album "Continuum", John Scofield's "That's What I Say", "Possiblilties" by Herbie Hancock, "23rd St. Lullaby" - Patti Scialfa, and The Verbs' "And Now - The Verbs" with his wife, Meegan Voss. In 2006, Steve Jordan joined Eric Clapton's hand-picked touring band for Clapton's "European Tour 2006", which included seven sold out shows at the Royal Albert Hall and a concert in Moscow's Red Square. He will continue in Clapton's band as they tour North America in the fall of 2006.