Watch Johnnie Lee Jordan sing on 'Fallon'

Johnnie Lee Jordan gives all the credit for his recent national television debut to his mom, Barbara Ann Jordan, of Sayville.

“My mom was at a taping of [‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’] and they asked the audience if any of them were songwriters,” says Jordan, a Patchogue native now living in the Bushwick section Brooklyn. “She says, ‘You’ve got to hear my son. He’s great!’”

A few phone calls later, Jordan found himself on “Fallon” Wednesday morning for “Battle of the Instant Songwriters” making up a song to the title the show’s writers gave him – “Hot Dog in My Buns” – for the audience. He ends up getting beat out by “Fish Can’t Fall in Love,” but he certainly makes an impression with his upbeat, alt-folk delivery and the distinctive vocals that have made him one of the area’s most promising singer-songwriters.

“To be truthful, I thought my version was funnier initially,” he says. “But it turned out great. I was just so happy to be there. Everybody with the show was so cool. And I got to talk to Questlove!”

Jordan hopes to return to “Fallon” soon, but as a musical guest. His new album with Johnnie Lee Jordan & The Boys is expected to be released in October, with Jordan currently putting the final touches on it with producer Mike Sapone, who is also currently working with Taking Back Sunday.

“It’s a complete departure for me,” says Jordan, who has been delivering impressive, self-produced music for nearly a decade, including a recent EP that he is offering for free through his website, johnnieleejordan.com. “It deals with dark stuff, but overall, it’s hopeful. And, overall, the sound, is like The Pixies and Television together playing Tom Petty songs.”

Now that’s a combination that sounds pretty hard to beat.
Watch the competition here. (Jordan starts about 3:30 in, if you want to skip ahead.)