The jazz world pays tribute to Seila Jordan, his singer, whose intimate, improvisational style was made by one of the most respected figures of the genre. She died peacefully at her home in New York at the age of 96, according to family members. Jordan, born Sheila Jeanette Dawson in Detroit in 1928, carries a unique place in jazz history combining Bebop accuracy with deep personal narrative. She began playing in her teens, inspired by Charlie Parker, and quickly gained respect for the New York jazz scene after moving there in the early 1950s. He worked with Parker, Charles Mingus