top of page

Rodney Jordan

Coordinator of Jazz and Commercial Music at Florida State University is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. He grew up playing the bass in church and with his high school orchestra. Jordan received his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi where he studied music with Dr. London Branch, Alvin Fielder, and Andy Hardwick at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. During his college years, Jordan joined the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra where he served as Assistant Principal Bassist. After graduating, he became Chair of the String Department at the Dougherty County Public School and served as Principal Bassist with the Albany Symphony Orchestra in Albany, GA. Teaching has always been an important part of Mr. Jordan’s life and career. In addition to teaching strings in Dougherty County, he also taught in the DeKalb County School Systems

0C8A8604_edited.jpg

MORE ABOUT RODNEY

During his years in Georgia, Jordan served as a bass instructor at Darton College (part of the University System of Georgia) in Albany and at Georgia State University in Atlanta. While living in Atlanta, Jordan became one of the city’s most active jazz bassists, performing and recording with some of America’s finest jazz musicians, including Marcus Printup, Mulgrew Miller, James Williams, Milt Jackson, George Coleman, and Russell Gunn. He joined the faculty in the School of Music at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL in 2001 where he now holds rank as Professor of Jazz Studies and Coordinator of Jazz and Commercial Music. Jordan teaches jazz bass, jazz combo playing, music education classes, and a jazz styles and analysis class.

​ 

Jordan joined the Marcus Roberts Trio in 2009. It was evident during that first official performance of the newly-formed trio at the prestigious Wigmore Hall in London that Jordan thoroughly understood Roberts’ unique trio conception. Rodney Jordan is one of the most versatile jazz bassists on the scene today. His tone is rich and soulful when he plays hauntingly beautiful phrases with the bow. Just as readily, he plays fast virtuosic passages with apparent effortless skill. He has recently performed with Quentin Baxter, Matthew White, Bobby Watson, Donald Harrison, Geoffrey Keezer, Rene Marie, Xavier Davis, Willie Jones III, Keith Brown, Jeff Watts, and Houston Persons to name a few.

STUDENT EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL 

For student educational materials, please click here to enter a password and access the information which includes class syllabi and notes

Marcus Roberts

“One of the first things that I noticed about Rodney was his dedicated work ethic,” says Marcus Roberts. “When I observed students around him, I noticed that they became more serious just from working with him. His example inspires and leads them to greater commitment to learning how to play this music. Students respect him because he practices what he preaches. He also spends a lot of extra time with the students, and is never too busy to answer their questions."

DISCOGRAPHY

  • Memphis Blue (coming soon 2025); 

  • Playing Jazz Vol. 1 (2018); 

  • Low Country (2023); 

  • Conversations (2021); 

  • Art Moves Jazz (2021);

  • Battle Cry with Virginia Schenck (2020);

  • Aminata Moseka with Virginia Schenck (2017);

  • Interior Notions with Virginia Schenck (2015);

  • Trio Crescent: Celebrating Coltrane (J-Master, 2017);

  • Pivot with Melvin Jones (Turnaround Records, 2011)

  • Celebrating Christmas (J-Master, 2011) 

  • Deep in the Shed: A Blues Suite (J-Master, 2012); 

  • From Rags to Rhythm (J-Master, 2013); 

  • Romance, Swing, and the Blues (J-Master, 2014);

  • The Race for the White House (EP) (2016);

  • Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents Higher Ground: Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert with the Marcus Roberts Trio (2005);

  • Black Lace Freudian Slip with Rene Marie (2011);

  • Voice of My Beautiful Country (Motema Records, 2011);

  • Experiment in Truth (Independent Release, 2007) with Rene Marie;

  • Say It Plain with Scotty Barnhart (Unity Music, 2009); 

  • Keep it Simple with Curtis Fuller (High Note Records, 2005);

  • When Cooler Heads Prevail with Bill Anschell (Summit Records, 2002);

  • Ethnomusicology, Volume 1 with Russell Gunn (Atlantic Records, 1999), which received a Grammy nomination for best contemporary jazz recording in 2000.

bottom of page