Biography
Honi Gordon stands among jazz’s fleeting one-shot successes, an under-the-radar bop singer whose sole solo LP, the little-heard Honi Gordon Sings, appeared in 1962. Absence from the spotlight had nothing to do with ability. The daughter of vocalist and composer George Gordon, she fashioned an engaging approach that drew from Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Annie Ross, while occasional performances also suggested the phrasing of Chris Connor. She began working professionally in the early 1950s as part of the family vocal ensemble the Gordons, alongside her father and two brothers. Though the group never achieved strong sales, it caught the ear of Charles Mingus, the celebrated bassist, pianist, and bandleader, and cut several sides with him. Pianist Mary Lou Williams and bandleader-vibraphonist Lionel Hampton likewise voiced admiration, yet the Gordons disbanded after a brief run. Entering the 1960s, Honi launched a solo path and cut Honi Gordon Sings for Prestige, backed by acoustic bassist George Duvivier, drummer Ed Shaughnessy, and the wide-ranging pianist Jaki Byard. The session proved impressive; she demonstrated a sure grasp of lyrics across a program that included Mingus’s “Strollin’,” the standard “Ill Wind,” and her father’s “My Kokomo.” The album remained her only solo statement, and she never recorded again under her own name. In 1991 Fantasy brought Honi Gordon Sings back into circulation on CD through the limited-edition Original Jazz Classics series.
Albums