Sheila Jordan, whose cool and supple voice carried her name through decades of jazz recordings, performance and education, died Monday in New York, her family confirms to Variety. No cause of death was cited; she was 96.
A virtuoso singer and improvisor who was often overlooked during her lifetime, at least partially due to an aversion to self-promotion, her 1963 debut album “Portrait of Sheila” in particular is widely regarded as a classic and she released more than two dozen albums over the course of her career, including “Portrait Now,” released earlier this year. She was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2012.
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