Choo Choo Ch'boogie

He started out with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, and ended up being the main influence on performers like Little Richard and Chuck Berry. In between, he and his Tympany Five created jump-jive music, the feel-good small band sound that bridged the swing era and r'n'b.

Nobody is more steeped in Jordan's life and work than Clarke Peters, who not only wrote, directed and starred in the West End tribute show Five Guys Named Moe, but researched behind the scenes to discover the fascinating stories of Jordan's life - his battles with illness, his perfectionism, his comedy, and his enduring influence on the likes of Bill Haley and Ray Charles.

Pacey, fast moving and packed with good humour, the series is just like a Jordan performance. As we enter his unique sound world, we hear the hits, Saturday Night Fish Fry, Outskirts of Town, Caldonia, and Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens, a string of million-sellers that made his name.

This series was first broadcast in 2008, to coincide with the centenary of Louis Jordan's birth.

Clarke Peters looks at the story behind the smash hit Five Guys Named Moe.

Clarke Peters celebrates the life and career of Louis Jordan, beginning with the story of the smash hit Five Guys Named Moe and featuring Jordan's mentor, bandleader Jesse Stone.

Clarke Peters celebrates the life and career of Louis Jordan.

Louis Jordan with his yard-wide smile, rousing vocals and searing alto saxophone was the bridge from the minstrel show to rock and roll. He started out with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, and ended up being the main influence on performers like Little Richard and Chuck Berry. In between, he and his Tympany Five created jump-jive music, the feel-good small band sound that bridged the swing era and r'n'b.

Long before The Wire, Clarke Peters wrote, directed and starred in the West End tribute show Five Guys Named Moe, researching behind the scenes to discover the fascinating stories of Jordan's life - his battles with illness, his perfectionism, his comedy, and his enduring influence on the likes of Bill Haley and Ray Charles.

This series originally broadcast in 2008 to mark the centenary of Jordan's birth. The second episode covers how Louis Jordan and his Tympani Five came to be one of the biggest acts on the scene and features music which was covered 20 years later and became some of the biggest hits of early rock and roll.

Clarke Peters explores how Louis and His Tympany Five became a big act on the scene.

Clarke Peters celebrates the centenary of Louis Jordan, continuing with how Jordan and His Tympani Five came to be one of the biggest acts on the scene.

Clarke Peters celebrates the life and career of Louis Jordan.

clarke peters continues his celebration of louis jordan featuring the great recording collaborations with bing crosby, ella fitzgerald and louis armstrong, and the biggest sequence of hits for jordan and his tympany five including: let the good times roll, ain't nobody here but us chickens, and of course, the classic choo choo ch'boogie. first broadcast in 2008.

clarke peters explores jordan's collaborations with bing crosby and ella fitzgerald.

Clarke Peters celebrates the life and career of Louis Jordan.

Clarke Peters celebrates the life and career of Louis Jordan.