I was recently reading James Kaplan’s 3 Shades of Blue: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and the Lost Empire of Cool when I came across this passage about Coltrane’s early days in Philadelphia, “a city that was a hotbed of jazz.” Kaplan goes on:
Rashied Ali. Kenny Barron. Clifford Brown. Ray Bryant. Joe Chambers. Buddy DeFranco. Sonny Fortune. Jimmy Garrison. Benny Golson. Jimmy, Albert, and Tootie Heath. Philly Joe Jones. Jymie Merritt. Hank Mobley. Lee Morgan. Odeon Pope. Red Rodney. Archie Shepp. Jimmy Smith. Bobby Timmons. McCoy Tyner. Wilbur Ware. Reggie Workman. In later years, Pat Martino. Michael and Randy Brecker, Kevin Eubanks, and Christian McBride. All were born in, or grew up in, the City of Brotherly Love.
Of course, that list is not comprehensive. There’s no mention of contemporary artists like Immanuel Wilkins, Justin Faulkner or Johnathan Blake. Nor is there any inclusion of the myriad women who fit the criteria, like Billie Holiday, Shirley Scott or Melody Gardot. But Kaplan’s point is well taken: Philly is, and always has been, a top-tier city for jazz.
Starting this month, we at WRTI are taking another step in amplifying where jazz has been and where it is going in our city, through an initiative we call Philly Made. Listeners can expect to hear more artists whose lives and music have been shaped by the unique and rich culture of Philadelphia, like recent Let Freedom Ring profile subjects Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang, who pioneered how violin and guitar could be adapted to the music, and Sun Ra, whose singular vision created an alternate universe in the name of Black pride and helped spawn what has become known as Afrofuturism. We’ll also celebrate figures from the vibrant modern-day scene: accomplished musicians like Terell Stafford, Hailey Brinnel, Ruth Naomi Floyd, and Byron Landham, all of whom are faculty members right here at Temple University.
As part of the initiative, each month we will highlight a current musician from, or residing in, Philadelphia to be our Philly Made Featured Artist. This month, we’re proud to feature the 29-year-old Philadelphia-born-and-raised pianist Jordan Williams, whose debut album as a leader, Playing by Ear, was released in January. It features Jeff “Tain” Watts on drums, Nat Reeves on bass, and Wallace Roney, Jr. (son of Philadelphia native and Miles Davis protégé, the late Wallace Roney) on trumpet.
Williams — who previously studied with another of Philly’s most notable pianists, Orrin Evans — channels his virtuosic sound on the album through compositions by Herbie Hancock (“Peace”), Kenny Garrett (“Ms Baja”), and Camden, N.J. native Buster Williams (“Tayamisha”), the latter of which is dedicated to Jordan’s grandparents. (“They were fans of records Buster Williams was on, and they owned a chicken store in the ‘60s called Wings n Things in Camden,” he explains.)
Jordan Williams will perform two sets at Chris’ Jazz Cafe on Saturday, April 4, and will sit down for an interview later this month with Evening Jazz host Nicole Sweeney.
