Blue Skies Jordan Officer

• 1 Blue Skies 03:21
• 2 Got You On My Mind 03:00
• 3 It's You I Love 03:01
• 4 Shot of Rhythm and Blues 03:07
• 5 Chains of Love 04:30
• 6 Night Flight 04:08
• 7 How Long Blues 02:43
• 8 That's for Me 03:40
• 9 Then She Kissed Me 03:54
• 10 When the Deal Goes Down 05:02
• 11 Takin' Off 04:19
• Total Runtime 40:45

Info for Blue Skies

Jordan Officer treads a fine line between jazz, blues, country and traditional rock’n’roll. On his latest release, Blue Skies, he opens the album with his version of Tom Waits’ title track, but eschews Waits’ solo finger-picking in favour of a two guitar backing, one comping and one adding solos and licks, adding a trad-jazz sheen that wasn’t altogether obvious on the original. And it works very nicely, adding a little joie de vivre to the already-excellent original.

The first song he sang & played publicly in high school was Tom Waits’ “Blue Skies”, it gets a bluesy treatment here. There are no Lonnie Johnson songs here and he’s probably very tired of references to his sound being so influenced but the similarity is unmistakable. In his press release, Officer proudly announces his inclusion in Hal Leonard’s sheet music books among the greats quoted in Scott Yanow’s “The Great Jazz Guitarists, The Ultimate Guide”, so enough of Mr. Johnson then, Officer’s guitar work on this disc is superb throughout. The Big Three Trio’s “Got You On My Mind” provides an especially good example of his guitar work. The tempo picks up for Arthur Alexander’s “Shot of Rhythm And Blues” which features back up vocals from former partner Susie Arioli and another amazing solo that is faded all too early. His laid back vocal style is made to measure for Leroy Carr’s “How Long Blues”. Bob Dylan’s “When The Deal Goes Down” (from Modern Times) also gets a nicely bluesy turn. “Takin’ Off” features one more guest, Augie Meyers, who contributes some of his trademark Tex-Mex organ to an attractive instrumental to close.

"This is not a blues album, but it is an album with a lot of blues in it. Armstrong’s “That’s For Me” is given a shuffle treatment but doesn’t quite hit the blues groove, primarily due to Office’s over-dubbed counter-point lead guitar. Even Leroy Carr’s “How Long Blues” is closer to jazz than pure blues, in particular on Officer’s chromatic soloing. It is however a very enjoyable album. This reviewer would probably have preferred to hear more originals, but the cover versions are well-chosen and well-played, respectful yet slightly left-field, a trait that should be widely encouraged. If you’re looking for something new to play late at night, something as smooth as that glass of whiskey in your hand, then you’ll find much to enjoy on Blue Skies." (bluesblastmagazine.com)

Jordan Officer, vocals, guitar
Sage Reynolds, bass
Alain Bergé, drums (track 2)
Tony Albino, drums
Augie Meyers, keyboards (track 11)

Jordan Officer
Hal Leonard, the biggest editor of sheet music and music books in the world, has recently included Jordan Officer amongst the greats in Scott Yanow's publication "The Great Jazz Guitarists, The Ultimate Guide." Jordan is acclaimed not only for his virtuosity, but also for his unequaled sensitivity and sober elegance.

Jordan Officer the musician, composer, singer and producer has carved out his signature sound which is unmistakable whether he is backing up another singer or playing solo, and whether he is singing the blues, jazz, country, or rock'n'roll. And his live shows are unforgettable and mesmerizing, for his energy and originality, for his openness and for the tangible complicity between Jordan and his band members.

In 1997, Jordan Officer was a regular participant at Blues great Stephen Barry's jam sessions, and it was here on stage that he met Susie Arioli. A solid bond was formed between the two musicians and the Susie Arioli Band featuring Jordan Officer was born. Discovered by the public during the 1998 Montreal International Jazz Festival, they won over fans and collected accolades during the next 12 years. More than 250,000 copies of their albums were sold. Besides composing originals for each of their albums, Jordan was also the producer of four of them.

In Spring 2010, Jordan released his first solo, self-titled, album, which earned him the Félix "Album of the year – Jazz Creation". Four years later, Jordan released "I'm Free", the fruit of 6 months of studying and experimentation in New York City. This album was acclaimed by critics and the public and the "I'm Free" show played 3 sold-out shows at the 2014 Montreal International Jazz Festival. In 2015, Jordan released "Blue Skies", an eloquent insight into Jordan's musical roots, born of a month's immersion in the musical energy of California's west coast, and infused with the classic Jordan Officer sound. Then "Blue Skies" went on tour in Canada and Europe, a hugely successful show conceived with input from stage director Brigitte Haentjens.

After producing Andrea Lindsay's "Entre le jazz et la java" which earned a Félix award for jazz album of the year, Jordan recorded and released his fourth album in the Spring of 2018 on the Spectra Music label. Produced by Charley Drayton (Keith Richards, Miles Davis, Neil Young), "Three Rivers”, recorded in NYC, features songs inspired by a road trip in the southern United States. The album won the Félix - Jazz Album of the Year at the 2018 ADISQ awards, and the tour that followed was also nominated in 2019 for show of the year.

After being one of the main outdoor acts at the 2019 Montreal Jazz Festival, a “Full Band” show on the main stage for tens of thousands of people, directed by Marcella Grimaux, arrangements by Andy King, with 10 musicians on stage, Jordan then spent the fall revisiting his musical history, influences, and the three styles that are the pillars of his musical language: Jazz, Blues and Country. Three albums were recorded in early 2020, and released in July 2020, titled: “Jazz vol. 1”, “Blues vol. 1” and “Country vol. 1”. A show featuring songs from these three albums is now on tour in Quebec with shows in Europe and the US to be announced.

This album contains no booklet.