Jordan was born in New York and raised in Brooklyn where he attended Boys High School. An imaginative and gifted pianist, Jordan was a regular member of Charlie Parker's quintet during 1947–48, which also featured Miles Davis. He participated in Parker's Dial sessions in late 1947 that produced "Dewey Square", "Bongo Bop", "Bird of Paradise", and the ballad "Embraceable You". These performances are featured on Charlie Parker on Dial.
Jordan had a long solo career from the mid-1950s onwards, although for a period in the mid-1960s he drove a taxi in New York. After periods accompanying Sonny Stitt and Stan Getz, he performed and recorded in the trio format. His most notable composition, "Jordu", became a jazz standard when trumpeter Clifford Brown adopted it into his repertoire.
Beginning in 1978 he lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, having recorded an extensive sequence of albums for the SteepleChase label; his first record date for the company was in 1973. He was reported not to have changed his style over the course of his career. Some of his best live recordings are available on SteepleChase, or Marshmallow Records, a Japanese label.
From 1952 to 1962 he was married to the jazz singer Sheila Jordan. Their union produced a daughter, Tracey J. Jordan. He died in Valby, Copenhagen.
As leader
Do It Yourself Jazz Vol. 1 (Signal, 1955) (Savoy 1959)
Trio (Vogue 1954) (Prestige New Jazz as Jordu 1955) (Prestige as Jordu 1970)
Duke Jordan (Trio and Quintet) (Signal, 1955) (Savoy 1959) (Savoy Jazz 1986 as Flight To Jordan different than Blue Note)
Flight to Jordan (Blue Note, 1960)
Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Charlie Parker, 1962)
East and West of Jazz (Charlie Parker, 1962) with Sadik Hakim
Brooklyn Brothers (Muse, 1973) with Cecil Payne
The Murray Hill Caper (Spotlite, 1973)
Flight to Denmark (SteepleChase, 1973 [1974])
Two Loves (SteepleChase, 1973 [1975])
Truth (SteepleChase, 1975 [1983])
Misty Thursday (SteepleChase, 1975 [1976])
Duke's Delight (SteepleChase, 1975 [1976])
Lover Man (SteepleChase, 1975 [1979])
Live in Japan (SteepleChase, 1976 [1977])
Osaka Concert Vol. 1 (SteepleChase, 1976 [1994])
Osaka Concert Vol. 2 (SteepleChase, 1976 [1994])
Flight to Japan (SteepleChase, 1976 [1994])
Flight to Norway (SteepleChase, 1976 [2003])
Duke's Artistry (SteepleChase, 1978)
The Great Session (SteepleChase, 1978 [1981])
Tivoli One (SteepleChase, 1978 [1985])
Tivoli Two (SteepleChase, 1978 [1985])
Wait and See (SteepleChase, 1978)
Solo Masterpieces Vol. 1 (SteepleChase, 1979)
Midnight Moonlight (SteepleChase, 1979 [1981])
Solo Masterpieces Vol. 2 (SteepleChase, 1979)
No Problem (SteepleChase, 1979)
Thinking of You (SteepleChase, 1979 [1982])
Change a Pace (SteepleChase, 1979)
Art Pepper with Duke Jordan in Copenhagen 1981 (Galaxy, 1981 [1996]) with Art Pepper
Time on My Hands (SteepleChase, 1985 [1988])
As Time Goes By (SteepleChase, 1985 [1989])
As sideman
Gene Ammons Blues Up and Down, Vol. 1 (Prestige PR 7823)
Gene Ammons The Happy Blues (Prestige PRLP 7039)
Gene Ammons All Star Sessions (Prestige PRLP 7050)
Ernestine Anderson It's Time for Ernestine (Metronome (Swd))
Chet Baker No Problem (SteepleChase, 1979)
Paul Bascomb Bad Bascomb (Delmark DL 431)
Eddie Bert (Discovery DL 3024)
Eddie Bert Quintet (Discovery DL 3020)
Art Blakey Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960 (Fontana, 1959 – Original Soundtrack with Barney Wilen)
Tina Brooks True Blue (Blue Note BLP 4041, CDP 7243 8 28975-2)
Kenny Burrell Blue Lights, Vol. 1 (Blue Note BLP 1596)
Kenny Burrell Blue Lights, Vol. 2 (Blue Note BLP 1597)
Kenny Burrell Swingin' (Blue Note (J) GXF 3070)
Joe Carroll (Charlie Parker CP 201)
Teddy Edwards The Inimitable Teddy Edwards (Xanadu 134)
Rolf Ericson and his American All Stars (Metronome (Swd) JMLP 2-105, EmArcy MG 36106)
Art Farmer Art Farmer Quintet featuring Gigi Gryce (Prestige, 1955)
Stan Getz Duke Ellington 25th Anniversary Concert (FDC (It) 1005)
Stan Getz Getz Age (Roost RLP 2258)
Stan Getz Hooray for Stan Getz (Session Disc 108)
Stan Getz Move! (Natasha Imports 4005)
Stan Getz Sweetie Pie (Philology (It) W 40-2)
Stan Getz The Complete Roost Recordings (Roost CDP 7243 8 59622-2)
Stan Getz Stan Getz Plays (Norgran, 1952)
Stan Getz Quartet (Queen Disc (It) Q 013)
Stan Getz Quintet Live at Carnegie Hall (Fresh Sound (Sp) FSCD 1003)
Stan Getz Quintet Live at the Hi-Hat 1953, Vol. 1 (Fresh Sound (Sp) FSCD 1014)
Stan Getz Quintet Live at the Hi-Hat 1953, Vol. 2 (Fresh Sound (Sp) FSCD 1015)
Stan Getz Quintet That Top Tenor Technician Stan Getz (Alto AL 704)
Gigi Gryce Doin' the Gigi (Uptown, 2011)
Coleman Hawkins and his Orchestra (Decca 27853)
Joe Holiday Holiday for Jazz (Decca DL 8487)
Howard McGhee The Return of Howard McGhee (Bethlehem BCP 42)
Charles McPherson – Beautiful! (Xanadu 115)
Barry Miles – Miles of Genius (Charlie Parker PLP 804)
Sam Most Mostly Flute (Xanadu 133)
Charlie Parker Complete Charlie Parker on Dial, Charlie Parker on Dial (Jazz Classics, Spotlite)
Cecil Payne Patterns of Jazz (Savoy, 1956)
Cecil Payne Bird Gets The Worm (Muse, 1976)
Cecil Payne Shaw 'Nuff (Charlie Parker PLP 506)
Cecil Payne The Connection (Charlie Parker PLP 806)
Cecil Payne Performing Charlie Parker Music (Charlie Parker PLP 801)