Juju Juedienne Gordon is a Musician and Vocalist who has been studying and performing for the last 30 years. As a composer, she has written and recorded more than 12 original songs and continues to write. As a bandleader, she can hold it down but always manages to recognize and promote all members. She is a professional artist who puts her entire heart and soul into her music, always giving her audience the best performance she can give. When you see and hear Juju you will not forget her sultry sound, phrasing of lyrics and swinging style!
Coming from a family deeply rooted in music, Juju has been taught and groomed by the best in the business. Growing up in upstate NY, she was a diligent musical student and often participated in classes of Barry Harris at the Jazz Cultural Theater in NYC. As a teenager, her first professional gig was singing backup on Don McClean’s “Bye Bye Miss American Pie.” She then moved on to competition as the NYS Champion Teen Saxophonist, which led to travelling and performing with the USO band in the horn section. While with the USO Band JuJu gained much of her stage presence from performing with a Who's Who of entertainers in the world of pop and jazz, that have included Lola Falana, Wayne Newton, the Righteous Brothers, Andy Williams, Leslie Uggams, Lou Rawls, Michael McDonald, Sergio Mendes and many others.
From New York after appearing in an Off Broadway “1940 Radio Hour,” she was invited to audition for The Right Thing Tour as one of Ray Charles’ Pepsi Girls and then toured with him all around the world, playing in small and large concert venues across the U.S., Europe, Africa and Asia.
Juju has composed numerous songs, including "Soul Searching," "I Got News for You," and "The Jazz Musician." Her song "This is Love" has been recorded by other artists too; Sarah Vaughn sang it at the Blue Note, and before she became sick, she was planning to record the song. Juju has worked with some of the best musicians in the jazz community.
She has just completed a CD. Tentatively called Live In DC, it will be released as Straight and Smooth, for it is "straight-ahead jazz" presented "in a smooth way" appealing to both markets.
"I'm Going to Miss You When You're Gone" is a featured song on the CD. Juju not only sings but also plays the congas, which keeps the beat swinging. The CD promotes her band, which she calls, simply, "A Band." A versatile performer, she is equally adept at performing in small combos or big bands. Today she is listening to music from around the world, intent on incorporating more drums into jazz.
Now working steady gigs with great musicians in DC, Juju looks forward to writing and performing more of her music. She laments that jazz, with its roots firmly in the soil of the U.S., is the least-supported form of music in the U.S. – while other countries appreciate and celebrate it far more. For Juju, her entire career has been, and continues to be, a journey to lift up the art of jazz in America.