British guitarist Ronny Jordan, one of the musicians at the forefront of the Acid Jazz movement in the early 1990s, has died at the age of 51. His passing was announced by his brother and sister through a tribute page on Facebook.
Ronny came to prominence in ’92 when he released an upbeat reworking of Miles Davis’s So What on Island Records. His debut album The Antidote – which included So What – was widely praised.
He was subsequently nominated for a Grammy [in 2000] for his album Brighter Day, which was a top 10 hit on the Billboard jazz chart in the US. He also won a Mobo award for best jazz act that year.
In the same year his song The Jackal was lip-synched by actress Allison Janney in an episode of hit US drama The West Wing. He spent his career performing extensively all over the world and headlined a number of jazz festivals.
Jordan’s brother and sister, Rickey and Denise, said that funeral arrangements for the musician would be announced in due course. The cause of death has not so far been disclosed.
