
Charley Jordan was a St. Louis blues singer, songwriter and guitarist, as well as a talent scout, originally from Mabelvale, Arkansas. He was known for a unique style that drew on his rural roots. He recorded numerous singles for Vocalion and Decca between 1930 and 1937, and also performed with some well-regarded bluesmen from the 1920s to the 1940s. He played with Peetie Wheatstraw, Roosevelt Sykes, Casey Bill Weldon and Memphis Minnie. Noted for his "crisply firm guitar", he had most of his biggest hits, including "Keep It Clean", in the early to mid-1930s.
His arrangement for "Keep It Clean" is played in the key of E. I teach note for note what he played. He uses an alternating bass for the first sung line and then changes style to a more intricate picking sound. Charley was the master of contrasting guitar sounds.