Jazz Blog Special: Sheila Jordan and Cameron Brown, 'I've Grown Accustomed to the Bass'

I thought Sheila Jordan's rendition of "Baltimore Oriole" was about the coolest tune I'd ever heard when a friend's father turned me on to her debut album, "Portrait of Sheila Jordan,"more than 30 years ago. I still do.

Steve Swallow's steamy bass lines help give "Baltimore Oriole" the same sexy vibe as Peggy Lee's rendition of "Fever." Jordan's been relying on bassists to set up her cool improvisations ever sense, with Cameron Brown serving as her favorite muse.

"I've Grown Accustomed to the Bass," a live album released in 2000 that features only Jordan and Brown, doesn't include any tunes as enigmatic as "Baltimore Oriole," but the synergy between Jordan and Brown is impressive. And I think I prefer the live version of Bobby Timmons' "Dat Dere" to the rendition she recorded for "Portrait of Sheila Jordan." Brown's spare, lyrical riffs envelop and punctuate Jordan's amusing vocals on the newer track. It's so hip you almost expect to hear Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac snapping their fingers in the background.

I love Jordan and Brown's cover of "Good Morning Heartache," too. It's a sweet and lovely tribute to Billie Holiday, but my favorite track on the album is the medley of "I Got Rhythm/Listen to Monk (Rhythm-A-Ning)." Jordan's scatting is somehow both frenetic and airy ... just like Brown's bass playing.

If you dig "I've Grown Accustomed to the Bass" as much as I do, you'll also want to pick up a copy of Brown's "Here and How," a live album recorded in 2003 with Jordan, Dewey Redman on tenor saxophone, Dave Ballou on trumpet and Leon Parker on drums. Redman's saxophone licks are cool and unpredictable, an almost perfect complement to the hip focal point of Jordan's vocals and Brown's bass.

(Jazz Blog Special is a regular feature that examines older jazz albums worth checking out.)