Overview

• Daughter Tracey Jordan confirmed she died in New York at age 96 on Aug. 12 while listening to the bebop tune “Bill for Bennie.”
• Her 1963 Blue Note debut “Portrait of Sheila” positioned her as a pioneering jazz vocalist with a distinctive bass-and-vocal duet format.
• Jordan was honored as an NEA Jazz Master in 2012 and maintained an active schedule of performances and jazz workshops into her nineties.
• Earlier this year she released “Portrait Now,” adding to a discography that spans more than two dozen albums.
• A GoFundMe launched to cover her medical expenses in recent months drew donations from figures like Paul Shaffer and underscored financial challenges facing aging jazz artists.