Jesse Jordan Band

Icons are never born. They are made, and attained through blood, sweat and tears, weathered by time, shaped by talent and endued with just enough luck before being ushered onto the stage of mass consciousness.

Take South African rock sensation Jesse Jordan Band for instance. Theirs is hardly the story of overnight success, but one of consistency in the face of adversity, the chasing of a dream against all odds and the ultimate realization of that very dream.

What started as a dream and a fledgling band just over 7 years ago has evolved into a musical expression of note and a popularity that leaves many a South African band green with envy.

JJB recorded their debut album, “Lately When She Cries” with the help of Alex Power (Farmyard Studios) and saw it released in 2000 through Universal Studios. Their first single “Eastern Bridge” garnered widespread radio airplay and bagged them the winning slot for 1999’s “Shell Road To Fame” “Pop/Rock” category.

In the wake of this victory Jesse Jordan Band started playing the local Cape Town gigging circuit and soon saw a loyal following of fans develop. Soon regular slots at popular venues helped boost the band’s popularity and this was soon followed by requests to play nationwide, including at a number of well-known festivals, including KKNK, Woodstock 4 & 5, Aardklop, amongst others.

“Inconsistent Behaviour”, JJB’s second album was released in 2004 through Bowline Distribution. Their hit single, “Not Here” climbed the playlists of notable radio giants such as 5FM, MFM and RSG and their follow up single “There Goes My Mind”, apart from the now expected radio popularity, was chosen by legendary DJ Barney Simon to be on the 5FM/ SL Magazine’s “Unearthed” CD.

Not content with just radio the band soon found itself courting national television, featured on KYKNET and MNET’s “Dis Hoe Dit Is”, hosted by Steve Hofmeyer, as well as seeing the music videos of all four previously mentioned singles gaining quality airtime on SABC 1, STREET JOURNAL, YO TV and MK89.

With an impressive track record like this 2007 is looking even better for JJB. Their new album, title “White On The Inside” featuring new and revamped hits, is bound to hit the street soon. New singles are currently making its way into the hands of anxious radio DJ’s everywhere and the pre-release hype is infectious! Surprisingly one of the first radio stations to have already played their new single, “Wendy”, is Namibia’s own Radiowave, the same station that flew JJB in to play their New Year’s Eve Bash as well as their hugely successful Birthday Bash that saw the band headline next to SA mainstays such as Prime Circle and The Parlotones.

Even international stars will tell you that no one ever “makes it” in the music industry. Artists are always in the endless process of “making it”. And that is what Jesse Jordan’s legacy is: Strength to strength, glory to glory. Where will it end? Who knows, but if the journey thus far is any indication we have a lot to look forward to.