Oscar Jordan & The Mighty Sons of Hercules

The funk groove has a reserved place in jazz and blues. Oscar Jordan sings it downtown and backs up what he’s saying’ with an assertive guitar that sets the night on fire. When driving hard and pumping up the volume, he’s on top of the world. Backed by bass and drums and a choir of backup vocalists, he interprets twelve originals that express the blues tradition, as well as providing contemporary thrills.

“Rough Neck” and “Be Cool” take things nice and slow, with an emphasis on the interesting stories that Jordan has created. “Actions and words don’t mean the same thing,” he pleads convincingly. “I Liked You Better When You Were Drinking,” sings guest vocalist Karen Dilworth, with the band providing a hearty accompaniment. Oscar Jordan and The Mighty Sons of Hercules provide a solid foundation throughout the album. The soulful grooves found in such places as “Like a Lover Should” and “You and I,” are where Jordan and The Mighty Sons fit together cohesively in natural harmony with a contagious rhythm that captivates your soul.

Southland Blues
October ’04 Issue
- Southland Blues Magazine

Top Finalist in the 2004 Blues Idol Contest!

"Oscar plays guitar like he's bringing a gun to a knife fight."

Dan McCann

- Bluesidol.com

Oscar Jordan & The Mighty Sons Of Hercules have released Eclectic Soul, an incredibly diverse CD full of, well, good music. Make that great music. Jordan is a gifted guitarist and vocalist who has thrown convention to the wind and poured a passion for the blues into a stew with other styles, such as rock, jazz, Latin (check out the Santana-like "You And I"), funk, gospel (listen to "I Liked You Better When You Were Drinking"), R&B - you name it. Each cut is as different from the next as you might imagine - almost a cool radio station playing "all Oscar, all the time". Inspired by the rock albums from the '60s and '70s, where stylistic diversity was celebrated and admired, Jordan has taken that idea and run with it. Eclectic Soul, true to its title, is designed to appeal to people who love the attitude, soul and passion of blues, rock and gospel music blended with a fiery and soulful guitar and a emotionally charged voice - isn't that everyone?

-Guitar Nine's Undiscovered Artist for August 2004! - Guitar Nine Records

"Perfect... Every track on this CD is super fine Blues... The finest debut I've heard in years... A Blues Classic."

- Real Blues Magazine


"High energy... Stepping out of the box... Suave and feverish...Oscar Jordan is an artist from whom we should be hearing more of."

- Living Blues Magazine


"A Promising first effort... Dexterity galore... His frenetic blues riffing is clean and super-fast... Able to shift between different styles and tempos with ease... A good bet to take it to a higher level."

- Blues Access Magazine


"Smooth, well-crafted, original, and rollicking. Stands out nicely."

- Blues Revue Magazine


"Multi-talented and refreshing... Oscar Jordan, keep doing what you're doing! You're going to hear a lot about this young man."

- Ed Archer, "Preaching The Blues," KPFK Radio Los Angeles


"High-octane electric blues... Strong and moving... Blazing electric guitar... A fresh new face on the blues scene, loaded with talent and teaming with new ideas."

- Jim Santella, Southland Blues Magazine


"Oscar's music, his electrifying guitar and his powerful voice, make every song a blues masterpiece. This is the blues, no doubt about it. Mister Bad Luck is a killer blues album."

- Midnight Rider , BumpNGrindRecords.com


"Jordan demonstrates some intricate fretwork throughout this release, but maybe what is most impressive is that he understands that more is not necessarily better. Mister Bad Luck is an impressive debut effort packed with equal parts punch and class. One suspects that we will be hearing more from Oscar Jordan in the future."

- DocBluez' Blues Lounge


"Inspired... An excellent CD... great playing... B.B. King meets Steely Dan."

- GuitaristForum.com


"Mister Bad Luck is nothing short of an emotional journey."

- Valley Scene Magazine

- Publications

"If you like blues, Motown, and in your face rock & roll, then you're going to love Oscar Jordan."
- KLOS Radio Los Angeles

Voted as one of the top unsigned bands in Los Angeles of 2003! - Music Connection Magazine

Singer/guitarist Jordan and his band have fashioned a well-recorded CD of old-school grooves and dexterous licks. “Never Been Hurt” is an infectious and memorable blues/pop number that displays all of the band’s strengths. “Morning Affirmation,” with B3 organ, is an energetic Doobie-esque outing. “I Liked You Better When You Were Drinking” would be at home on a booze-themed compilation. Rock, R&B, acoustic, this is a tight band who can play it all well.

- Music Connection Magazine 8-30-04/9-12-04 Issue

Oscar Jordan & The Mighty Sons of Hercules Live at B.B. Kings, Universal City Saturday April 5, 2003. Reviewed in the May 12th issue of Music Connection Magazine.

Material: Funky and soulful, Oscar Jordan & The Mighty Sons present hard-driving electric blues with a modern flair. Aggressive in attack, Jordan throws down the gauntlet with his guitar heroics, around which most of his tunes are built. The quartet keeps things up-tempo for the most part, with a sound designed to get people shaking. When these guys do slow down, their mastery of traditional blues rings through clearly, making for a well-rounded, professional package.

Musicianship: Immediately clear is the grade-A skill all four members possess. More understated than his mates, Fukuda nevertheless provides a consistent sturdiness to the music. Along with Yamamoto, whose bass solos are rightfully deserved, Lane adds sparkling touches to the band’s straight-up blues. All this, however, is a side dish to Jordan’s spiraling fretwork. Jordan rips solo after solo of inspired axe-handling that dominates this act’s approach.

Performance: Like many bluesmen before him, Jordan was calm and cool while letting his guitar do the talking. His speedy solo runs were impressive, but it wasn’t until he slowed down and put some space between his notes that Jordan really floored the dinner crowd. From there, the band warmed into an engaging groove that included flashes of Santana and a cover of “Superstitious,” culminating in a shredding finale by Jordan that blew away the crowd and left them wanting more.

Summary: Oscar Jordan & The Sons deliver a charging set of contemporary blues with the focus on Jordan’s guitar wizardry. Assertive, yet unassuming, Jordan delivers on the promise of dropping jaws with his talent. When he focuses on songwriting, as on the more realized and soulful “You and I,” he is irresistible. With more examples like this, there’s no reason for more ears not to be hip to him.

––Albert Vega

- Music Connection Magazine

Material: With a blusey style that contains hints of funk and soul, Oscar Jordan and his ensemble transport us to other times and far off places in rock & roll's history. The result is a classic sound that is timeless and satisfying.

Musicianship: These players are smokin'. Jordan's gravelly voice, natural feel and frenetic guitar playing are the initial reasons to come to a show, but the rest of the band will keep you there. Lane's classic keyboard work is a secret ingredient to this act's sound. Yamamoto and Umemoto add sheer power and an energy level that is contagious.

Performance: This set was a mix of standards and originals. All the tunes crackled with personality and ranged from laid-back groove jams to more energetic, fast-paced wailers. Overall, the set was lively and upbeat as the band members came together and pooled their chops to showcase the man in front.

Jordan was funny and came across well when he addressed the crowd between songs. He knew how to keep them in the mood, and his own mood was obvious as he made love to the audience through his instrument. Indeed, the whole band seemed to be entirely in it's element.

Summary: Some kinds of music seem fated to break ground, while others serve to reinforce what we already know about our music, our culture and history. Oscar Jordan and his band are part of the latter category. It's hard to quantify, but it's as valid as music that is considered cutting-edge, and sometimes more so, because it's part of what we imagine when we hear the soundtracks to our own lives. Real blues is an emotion, not just a genre, and Oscar Jordan's band seems to know that instinctively. They get kudos for being part of something larger than themselves.



- Music Connection Magazine - 4-11-05 Issue

Chicago-to-L.A. transplant Oscar Jordan offers a triumphant second album that brims with the varied influences of soul, funk, gospel, Latin Rock, and even Psychedelia. More specifically, Jordan wags his brim at Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, and Jeff Beck here, and it's no small compliment that his aim is, for the most part, true. Jordan is a guitar wailer in the classic sense, working with a fat, powerfully distorted tone dappled with dabs of wah and acid-washed in reverb.

He's also a full-throated blues belter, but he never oversells his songs, and that's good. Blues-rock is a genre given to cliche' and faux angst, a deadly combo thankfully avoided here. Jordan keeps it simple, his simmer punctuated by blistering solos and gorgeous multipart harmony vocals. The production is first rate - punchy at the bottom and clear as a bell up top. The bass/drum duo of Randal Yamamoto and Nick Karvon keep things anchored with inventive, lively playing, while keyboardist Alex Lane covers piano/organ beautifully. The harmony vocals are exceptional, owing to the presence of Terry Evans.

Jordan doesn't have the chops of his heroes, though he can rip. "You and I" is a direct Santana cop, but it's sincere, heartfelt, and lovely (and welcome, with Carlos now exiled to MOR duets with bony underage foghorns). Jimi Hendrix's "Up From the Skies" gets an update on the slinky, wah-laden "Be Cool," while the ballad "Hendrix T-Shirt" is a paean to an essential wardrobe item, with an appropriately sceaming solo from Jordan.

The most overt gospel nod is the album's centerpiece: The salty "I Liked You Better When You Were Drinking" is an over-the-top under-the-tap lament with guest vocalist Karen Dilworth, who boasts a singularly expressive tone. Near the end, the tune erupts into a driving gospel chorus. It comes off as sincere and authentic, much like the rest of Eclectic Soul. Jordan's one to watch.
- Blues Revue Magazine February/March 2005 Issue