After moving to New York in the early 1950s, she married Parker’s pianist, Duke Jordan, and studied with Lennie Tristano, but it was not until the early 1960s that she made her first recordings. One was under her name; the other was “The Outer View” with George Russell, which featured a famous 10-minute version of “You Are My Sunshine.”
In the mid-1960s, her work encompassed jazz liturgies sung in churches and extensive club work, but her appeal was narrow even within the confines of jazz. However, by the late 1970s, jazz audiences had begun to understand her uncompromising style a little more. As a result, her popularity increased - as did her appearances on record, which included albums with pianist Steve Kuhn, whose quartet she joined, and an album, Home, comprising a selection of Robert Creeley’s poems set to music and arranged by Steve Swallow.
A 1983 duo set with bassist Harvie Swartz, “Old Time Feeling” comprises several standards Jordan regularly features in her live repertoire, while the 1990s “Lost And Found” pays tribute to her bebop roots. Both sets display her unique musical trademarks, such as the frequent and unexpected sweeping changes of pitch, which still tend to confound an uninitiated audience. Her preference for the bass and voice set led to another remarkable collaboration with bassist Cameron Brown, who has been performing worldwide for more than ten years and has released the live albums “I’ve Grown Accustomed to the Bass” and “Celebration.” Entirely non-derivative, Jordan is one of only a tiny handful of jazz singers who fully deserve the appellation and for whom no other term will do.
Baltimore Oriole
Sheila Jordan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Took one look at that mercury, forty below
No life for a lady
To be draggin' her feathers around in the snow
Leaving me blue, off she flew
To the Tangipaho - down in Louisiana
Where a two - timin' Jaybird
Met the divine Miss O
I'd like to ruffle his plumage
That Baltimore Oriole
Messed around with that big guy
Till he singed her wings
Forgivin' is easy - it's a woman like, now and then
Could happen to thing
Send her back home
Home ain't home without her warbling
How she can sing
Make a lonely man happy, Baltimore Oriole
Come down from that bough
Fly to your daddy now
Sheila Jordan's "Baltimore Oriole" tells a story of a lady Baltimore Oriole who flees to Louisiana from her cold, frigid environment up north, leaving a man broken-hearted behind. Jordan sings that the bird fled to Louisiana because it wasn't suitable for a "lady to be draggin' her feathers around" in the snow. The man who was left behind was hurt and angry that the bird had flown away from him. Jordan sings that she would like to "ruffle his plumage," referring to the man who may have cheated on the bird. The bird ends up in Louisiana and meets a "two-timing Jaybird" who ultimately "singed her wings." In the end, the singer sings that they forgave the bird for going south, admitting that such things could happen to a bird, especially a woman bird.
Line by Line Meaning
Baltimore Oriole
The song's title refers to the bird species known as Baltimore Oriole, which symbolizes a lover Sheila Jordan desires and misses.
Took one look at that mercury, forty below
The winter was so cold that even the bird could not bear it, as the temperature dropped to forty degrees below zero based on the Fahrenheit scale.
No life for a lady
The environment and the temperature were too harsh and unsuitable for the female Baltimore Oriole.
To be draggin' her feathers around in the snow
It would be unreasonable and uncomfortable for the bird to be covered in snow and ice, like a helpless creature struggling to survive.
Leaving me blue, off she flew
The lover, who is represented by the bird, has flown away, causing Sheila Jordan to be sad and unhappy.
To the Tangipaho - down in Louisiana
The bird flew to Louisiana, specifically to Tangipaho, a city known for its lively jazz culture and blues music.
Where a two - timin' Jaybird
As the Baltimore Oriole flies to Tangipaho, there she meets a two-timing male Jaybird who is flirting with multiple female birds simultaneously.
Met the divine Miss O
The Jaybird eventually meets and seduces the beautiful and alluring Miss O (most probably another bird) from the area.
I'd like to ruffle his plumage
Sheila Jordan wants to confront the Jaybird and rebuke him for his unfaithfulness and for causing her lover's unhappiness.
That Baltimore Oriole
Reiterating that the song is about a Baltimore Oriole who is in love with a two-timing Jaybird.
Messed around with that big guy
The Baltimore Oriole was lured and trapped by the charming and manipulative Jaybird and was left heartbroken after realizing his infidelity.
Till he singed her wings
The Jaybird made the Baltimore Oriole go through emotional turmoil that left her emotionally damaged, similar to singeing a bird's wings.
Forgivin' is easy - it's a woman like, now and then
The song conveys that forgiving someone who caused so much pain and heartache in one's life is easy, but for women, moving on from such emotional turmoil is quite complicated.
Could happen to thing
Similar to the disastrous love story of the Baltimore Oriole, it could happen to anyone or any living thing on this earth who loves someone and is taken advantage of.
Send her back home
Sheila Jordan wants to bring the Baltimore Oriole back home (presumably where she belongs), as she misses the bird and her sweet song.
Home ain't home without her warbling
The absence of the Baltimore Oriole has made Sheila Jordan lonely and incomplete, as the bird's sweet singing voice cannot be replaced by anything else.
How she can sing
The Baltimore Oriole's singing voice is enchanting and melodious, as she can sing beautifully and make others happy with her talent.
Make a lonely man happy, Baltimore Oriole
Sheila Jordan encourages the Baltimore Oriole, as she believes the bird can make a lonely man happy with her singing and presence.
Come down from that bough
Sheila Jordan is calling out to the Baltimore Oriole, asking her to come down from the tree branch where she is perched.
Fly to your daddy now
Sheila Jordan could be calling herself 'daddy,' as she is the one who loves and misses the Baltimore Oriole, urging the bird to come back to her.
Contributed by Vivian N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.