Acid jazz guitarist Ronny Jordan has passed away at the age of 51. His death was confirmed by his family on Tuesday, January 14 when his
brother and sister set up a Facebook page in remembrance of Ronny. Their
statement reads as follows:
Dear
Friends, Family and Well Wishers,
It is
with our deep regret that Ronny Jordan has recently passed away. We are still
coming to terms with the loss of our brother.
We are
taking steps to manage Ronny’s personal affairs and so we ask if you could
kindly bear with us as we deal with his matters in the background. We
appreciate that Ronny has got many fans around the world and so we ask that you
keep an eye out for further announcements in relation to his funeral
arrangements.
In the
meantime, tributes to Ronny can be left on this FB page.
Thank
you for your patience and understanding.
With
every blessings and love..
Rickey
and Denise
Brother
and Sister
Ronny Jordan biography by Jason Ankeny: The
Antidote One of the acid jazz movement's most prominent guitarists, London-born
Ronny Jordan is widely credited with returning the instrument to its rightful
place as a major force in modern-day jazz; despite outcries from purists, few
other artists of his era proved more pivotal in knocking down the
long-immutable boundaries of contemporary black music. The son of a preacher,
Jordan's early musical history was rooted in gospel; his first public
performances were with gospel groups, but the outbreak of Brit-funk during the
early '80s led him to begin exploring other avenues of music, culminating in a
fascination with jazz. A self-taught guitarist, his early influences included
Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green, and when hip-hop began to
take off, Jordan started exploring ways to fuse jazz and rap together. The
first fruit of his endeavors was the single "After Hours," a
primitive foray into what would eventually become known as acid jazz. Record
companies initially wanted no part of Jordan's music, but when his distinctive
cover of the Miles Davis classic "So What" became a hit, it was clear
something was afoot. He soon released his debut LP, 1992's Antidote, but it was
rapper Guru's breakthrough 1993 album, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1, on which Jordan's
guitar work was prominently featured, that made acid jazz a viable proposition.
He subsequently issued such albums as 1993's Quiet Revolution, 1996's Light to Dark,
and 2000's Brighter Day. ~ allmusic.com
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