Tejano Accordionist Esteban Jordan Dies at 71

Esteban “Steve” Jordan, a leading figure in Tejano music died at a friend’s home in San Antonio (Texas) on Friday, August 13 of liver cancer. Esteban influenced wel known performers such as Los Angeles band Los Lobos and new polka outfit Brave Combo.

Although Esteban Jordan was known as a pioneering accordionist, he was a multi-instrumentalist, who played numerous musical instruments. He played conjunto music, which is the music popular in northern Mexico, Texas and the southwestern United States. But unlike most other conjunto bands, Esteban Jordan incorporated fusion jazz and rock into his music and took advantage of technological innovations to modify the sounds of his diatonic accordion.

Esteban Jordan was born February 23, 1939 in Elsa (Texas), in the Rio Grande Valley. He was partially blinded at birth and one of his nicknames was “El Parche” (the patch). He was also known as “The Jimi Hendrix of the accordion.”

Some of his most recent recordings include Many Sounds of Steve Jordan, The Return of El Parche, El Huracan and 20 Grandes Exitos.