Artist:Louis Jordan & His Tympany 5
Song:Five Guys Named Moe
Album:The Best Of Louis Jordan
In retrospect, Louis Jordan turned out to be a pioneer of R & B. Back in the 40s, he was just a lot of fun to listen to and was a consistent chart topper. He was born July 8, 1908 in Brinkley, AR. He majored in music at Arkansas Baptist College. Jordan moved to Philadelphia in 1932. His two years in the Chick Webb Orchestra prepared him for his solo career. He signed with Decca in 1938 and formed The Tympany 5 in 1939. His music was a combination of jazz, jump swing & humour. From 1942 to 1951, Louis Jordan had 57 R & B chart hits and plenty of musicians came through his band. Many of these songs are standards of black music including the 1942 hit Five Guys Named Moe. Musicians are Dallas Bartley on baritone sax, Eddie Roane on trumpet, Arnold Thomas on piano, Jesse "Po" Simpkins on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums. This comp has all his hits and is a pretty good introduction. Louis Jordan's career petered out in the 50s. He made some good records. It just wasn't what people wanted to hear at the time. There is also a musical called Five Guys Named Moe based on his music. Louis Jordan died of a heart attack on Feb. 4, 1975 at age 66. Louis Jordan's music was an important bridge between big band and modern R & B and his innovations have earned him iconic status. Here's Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five performing Five Guys Named Moe in a 1942 Soundie.
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