The son of saxophonist Kidd Jordan and the older brother of trumpeter Marlon Jordan, Kent Jordan's early venture into commercialism on his first two Columbia albums almost ruined his reputation in the jazz world before he had a chance to mature. He had studied at the Eastman School of Music and New Orleans' Center for the Creative Arts, being inspired at the latter by Ellis Marsalis (with whom he recorded). Jordan played and recorded with the groups Jasmine and the Improvisational Arts Quartet before cutting his two Columbia albums (1984 and 1986). His third Columbia album (1988's Essence) is much stronger from a jazz standpoint and since that time, Jordan has toured with Elvin Jones and shown the jazz world that he can indeed play creative music.