Edward "Kidd" Jordan, a music teacher and famed saxophonist who worked with the industry's biggest musicians, has died. He was 87.
Jordan's five-decade career allowed him to work with several music legends, including Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. He received several recognitions in the past years, honoring his contributions and legacy until his passing.
Edward "Kidd" Jordan Dead at 87
Jordan's publicist, Vincent Sylvain, confirmed in a statement (via Billboard) that the musician died Friday at his New Orleans home.
The jazz saxophonist reportedly passed away Friday, surrounded by his family; no cause of death is released as of press time. Meanwhile, details regarding his funeral and celebration of life are still pending.
In the publicist's statement, he looked back at Jordan's time as a music professor at the Southern University of New Orleans, where the musician spent 34 years of his life as an instructor and chairman of the jazz studies program.
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"He shared his vision of improvisation and encouraged students to find their authentic creative voices," the publicist said. "Mr. Jordan's legacy is solidified by his insistence that his students' music contain one critical element - originality. And he practices what he preaches."
Meanwhile, the executive director of the Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong Educational Foundation, Jackie Harris, called Jordan's death the "end of an era of music education in New Orleans." Jordan served as an instructor at the institution for 25 years until he retired in 2006.
The director also praised him for being a great example to musicians, referencing the saxophonist's first record, "No Compromise."
Jordan is survived by his wife, Edvidge Chatters Jordan, and their children - Edward Jr., Kent, Marlon, Rachel, Stephanie, Paul, and Christie. Four of the children became professional musicians.
Edward Jordan's Legacy
Born in Crowley in 1935, Jordan famously conquered his fears and moved to New Orleans when he was 20 years old. At that time, he already launched The Improvisation Arts Quintet.
The group, established in 1975, released avant-garde music catalogs in the years thereafter. Its projects were often described as an "evolution of complementary imagery."
His work in the music industry led him to be anointed as a knight, or chevalier, of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 1985. The prestigious award is given to the people who made excellent contributions to arts and literature.
In 2008, Jordan received a Lifetime Achievement recognition at the Vision Festival XIII in New York. Meanwhile, the Jazz Journalist Association named him a jazz hero in 2013.
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