Saxophonist Peter Jordan knows a thing or two about romance. His own love story with Lori Jordan began more than 17 years ago when she became his wife and later his manager. 

The Flossmoor couple will be working this Valentine’s Day, but they couldn’t be happier about it. They’re presenting “A Candlelight Jazz Tribute to Luther Vandross,” showcasing Jordan on sax, a talented band and vocalists, at the Logan Center for the Arts in Chicago on Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. 

The show will feature the music and artistry of the late singer, known for his ballads, distinctive voice and vocal runs. Tickets for the Feb. 14th show are available on Jordan’s website. 

V.I.P. tickets, which include a pre-show dinner with wine, are also available. A portion of the proceeds will go to support high school musicians. 

Jordan will be joined on stage by a group of musicians and vocalists, who, like him, have played with some of the biggest names in jazz and R&B. They include artists like the Isley Brothers, Al Jareau, Kirk Whalum, Boney James, George Duke, Lionel Ritchie, Robert Flack and Art Porter just to name a few. 

The show’s band consists of  bassist Michael Manson; drummer Felix Pollard; guitarist Alan Burroughs; pianist Andre Henry; Di’Kobie Berry Knight on vibraphone; Bruce Furlow on synthesizer and vocalists Billy Richard, Maritha Martin, Janae Henry and Nakia Henry. They have toured all over the country and the world.

The band will play many of Luther Vandross’s hits, which include songs such as “A House is Not a Home,” “Super Star,” “Love Won’t Let Me Wait,” “Dance With My Father Again,” “Never Too Much,” “Here and Now,” a love song that was a standard at weddings, “If Only for One Night,” “Bad Boy” and remakes such as “Always and Forever,” a song that Jordan knows well. 

Jordan spent a decade on the road with Heatwave, the band that originally recorded “Always and Forever.” The song  became a hit for them in the early 1980s and for Vandross in 1994.

The Logan Center for the Performing Arts selected Jordan from a huge and competitive pool of applicants to be one of its community artists. Lori Jordan said she was really impressed with the performance hall venue, which seats 500. She said she could see Jordan on that stage.

“I had a vision for him,” said Jordan, who admits she didn’t really like instrumental music at first. “But he has converted me. He’s dragged me from jazz club to jazz club,” she said, with a laugh.

Those experiences reinforced what she already knew – that her husband was extremely talented.

“Those guys have nothing on him other than the right marketing and promotion. You’re moving to the concert venue,” she said to her husband one day.

And Peter Jordan listened.

“I’m blessed to have the world’s best music production exec,” Jordan said. “She is off the chain. She’s the secret sauce. The hidden weapon.”

Jordan loves his wife’s attention to detail and her vision. She is all about the experience, he said.

“To me, Lori is a part of the band,” he said. “We are a great team.”

Jordan’s first big show as the featured artist was at Prairie State College. They’ve also performed at Freedom Hall in Park Forest. They’ve done two Grover Washington Jr. tributes. This will be their second Luther Vandross tribute, but it’s their first show in Chicago, Lori Jordan said.

Lori Jordan is a business school grad who has worked as an executive at the Washington Post, Microsoft and Amazon. She shares the story of how she got involved in the music business. Keith Wilder, the brother of the late Heatwave lead singer Johnnie Wilder and a band member himself, belonged to their sister church in the U.K., she said. 

Her pastor told her, “I have something I need you to do. Heatwave needs a manager and you’re it.”

“I learned a lot. I went overseas with them as a manager,” she said. And she met her husband Peter. 

Lori said Peter has performed at many big jazz festivals and that the Obama Administration invited him to play at the U.S. Presidential Proclamation honoring Buffalo Soldier Colonel Charles Young,

“Music is the language of the soul,” said Jordan. It’s a way of expressing without any inhibitions, your thoughts. You can say so much musically and that’s how I like to play.”

When Jordan isn’t touring, recording or composing music, he can be found at Lain-Sullivan Funeral Home where he is the director and managing partner. 

Jordan’s first funeral director job was at a large funeral home in Baltimore. Baltimore is also where he got his big break when he met and worked with singer Ben E. King’s music director. King is known for his mega hit, “Stand By Me.”

The manager invited Jordan to perform at King’s concert. Jordan remembers he showed up to the venue with his saxophone case in hand, but he couldn’t find his friend.  

“I’m young and shy,” Jordan remembers. And he wasn’t sure what to do. 

The concert started and the music director finally appeared,  came up to Jordan and said, “Take your horn out.” He then held the horn up and Ben E. King called Jordan up on stage.

“It was surreal. I floated up on the stage,” he said with a laugh. 

King turned the show over to Jordan for a solo and the crowd went crazy, he said.  King also gave Jordan some advice, which he never forgot. 

“You did good. You did real good, but remember it’s not how good you are. It’s how much the people love you. It’s about relationships” Jordan said King told him,

“That was the humble beginning,” Jordan said. “God puts things together that you have no control over.”

Over the years, Jordan has played with many talented musicians and singers. They include Archie Bell, Sisters Sledge and the Original Drifters, the Manhattans, The Dells, Evelyn Champagne King, The Stylistics, The Delfonics, Rolls Royce, the Emotions, plus a who’s who of jazz musicians.

Music has always been a huge part of his life. He plays and he composes. Jordan plays alto, soprano, tenor and baritone saxophone. He also plays the flute. 

His music has been featured on “Days of Our Lives,” “SNL” and the animated TV series “Batman Beyond.” 

Jordan, who moved to Flossmoor from Seattle in 2020, is also a community activist, who has been recognized for his contributions to the community. He is a member of the Southland Arts Council. He serves as president of the Chicago Heights-Park Forest Rotary Club.

“I’m very proud of Rotary International as an organization. We have a long legacy of providing community service. I was very excited to be a member,” he said.

Jordan hosts regular blood drives and was honored for his efforts by the Red Cross, which named him a Red Cross Hero for two years in a row.

Jordan organized a major food drive in collaboration with a few other groups and served between 220 to 225 people a week, utilizing the funeral home as a base. 

“Our facility provided ample space. We also provided storage,” he said. “The role of the funeral director extends beyond serving the family in times of grief. It entails rolling up your sleeves and helping the community in which we exist.”

The Village of Flossmoor recognized Jordan in 2024 for his lifetime of achievement in music. Jordan was again honored in 2024 by the village of Park Forest. He was humbled and grateful for  both awards.

“The Village of Park Forest had a recognition program for individuals in the community who made an impact in various areas. It was by nomination. I was completely surprised and caught off guard,” Jordan said of the honor.

Jordan is looking forward to doing more work in the communities in which he lives and works. He and Lori are also excited about the upcoming concert and the ones that will follow. He said the band he’s performing with on Feb. 14 feels like a family.

“With each person, there is a great relationship. There’s a deep admiration and respect because many of us already know each other,” he said. “We start our practices with a prayer. The camaraderie is deep. The trust is strong. I think the band members are fans of each other.”

If you want to go: “A Candlelight Jazz Tribute to Luther Vandross” will be held at 7 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2026 at the Logan Center for the Arts, 915 East 60th St; Chicago, IL

Tickets to “A Candlelight Jazz Tribute to Luther Vandross” are $75 and can be purchased by clicking this link.

Tickets for a V.I.P pre-show dinner with wine experience are also available for an additional cost.