“My life is dedicated to the beautiful music of jazz.” — Sheila Jordan
A trailblazing jazz vocalist, Jordan was a longtime educator at the Fine Arts Center’s Jazz in July summer music program. Jordan was a mentor, friend, and inspiration to generations of artists, students, audiences alike, and she will be greatly missed.
Jordan was a transformative teacher to singers at Jazz in July, which was founded by jazz greats Fred Tillis, Max Roach, and Billy Taylor. She met Max Roach when she was just fifteen or sixteen years old in Detroit, and later crossed paths with Billy Taylor while singing at Mitten’s After Hours in Harlem. Her connections to Roach, Taylor, and Tillis eventually led her to Jazz in July, where she taught for several decades, leaving an indelible impression on her students, fellow faculty, and the program.
"Sheila Jordan's impact on Jazz in July and the musical community in western Massachusetts have been profound and will be long-lasting.
We are eternally grateful to her and her family for the years of dedication in developing her art and in helping other musicians learn to cultivate their own. Sheila was a true master whose care, humor, and music will be remembered and celebrated."
— David Picchi, Jazz in July
During a 2011 interview celebrating Jazz in July’s thirty-year anniversary, Jordan said, “I love the kids. I love working with them. You gotta keep the music alive, and that’s what I am. I’m a messenger.
“I’ll do anything for this music. … My life is dedicated to the beautiful music of jazz. That’s why I do it,” she said.
The recipient of a 2012 NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, the nation’s highest honor in jazz, Jordan was known for her scatting and ability to reach listeners emotionally.
Over the course of her prolific career, Jordan worked with such acclaimed artists as Charles Mingus, Herbie Nichols, and Lennie Tristano, among many others. She was a member of the vocal trio, Skeeter, Mitch, and Jean; a member of the Steve Kuhn Quartet; and recorded solo albums. With the release of her first album, Portrait of Sheila (1963), she became the first female vocalist to record for Blue Note Records.
“Though she'll rightly be recalled first for her extraordinary vocals, at UMass, Sheila Jordan will also be remembered as a dedicated jazz educator,” said Jamilla Deria, director of the Fine Arts Center.
“Sheila was a giant presence in the Fine Arts Center's Jazz in July summer education program through 2024. Her students adored her. And the time she spent with each of them ensures her legacy will carry on in them and their craft for decades to come.”
Jordan also taught jazz vocal workshops at the City College of New York from 1978 through 2005. She was a faculty member at the Vermont Jazz Center in Brattleboro, Vermont, and she conducted vocal workshops internationally. Jordan was the recipient of several honors, including including an honorary doctorate from UMass in 2017, and the 2008 Mary Lou Williams Award for a Lifetime of Service to Jazz.
“She'll be missed terribly by everyone who knew her, from students, to fellow faculty, to Jazz in July staff, and beyond,” said Deria.