Jon Hendricks

A man whose talents have inspired groups like Manhattan Transfer and New York Voices (need we say more?) surely deserves a page on our web site.

Short biography

Jon Hendricks was born in Newark Ohio in 1921 as the ninth of fifteen children. He began his musical career singing in his father’s church choir in Newark, Ohio. Moving to Toledo, he sang as a boy-soprano over radio station WSPD for five years. In high school he wrote and appeared in musical shows. Later, in the Army Quartermaster Corps, he staged and wrote songs for several army shows. For a time he was a pre-law student at the University of Toledo, but he later came to New York; his chief goal became writing lyrics.

In 1958 he formed the celebrated Lambert, Hendricks & Ross trio. It was the first successful group to perfect the tradition of ‘vocalise’. They were awarded the Down Beat 1959 Poll.
For this group, which continued till 1962, Jon wrote an impressive number of lyrics to jazz standards by big-band giants like Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Woody Herman. His trademark is that each song is a full-realized story and in which the rhythm of e.g. saxophone solo’s are followed meticulously. It got him the nickname ‘the James Joyce of jive’.

In 1964 Jon recorded a solo album ‘In person at the Trident’ on which most of the songs relate to the LHR-era. He moved tot London and was voted the Number One Jazz Singer in the World for two years running (1968-69) by Melody Maker. When he returned to the USA it was to resume a busy schedule of creative projects. He won Peabody and Emmy awards for his LA television documentary, Somewhere Lay my Wary Head, for which he wrote the script, music and lyrics, and narrated in Person. His play, Evolution of the Blues, ran for 5 years in San Francisco and a year in LA.

In 1981 he formed ‘Jon Hendricks & Company, featuring his wife Judith, his daughter Michelle and Bob Gurland. With this ‘vocalstra’ he tried to continue the tradition where LHR left off.

In 1985 the Manhattan Transfer recorded the Vocalise album featuring his lyrics. He also appeared as a guest soloist in the song ‘Another night in Tunisia’.

On the 1990 album in celebration of his 70^th birthday his album ‘Freddie Freeloader’ was released featuring his company and a score of great jazz-musicians (e.g. George Benson, Al Jarreau, the Manhattan Transfer, Bobby McFerrin ).

In the 1993 recordings of a jam session in New York’s Blue note (Boppin’ at the Blue Note) show that though his voice may not be as clear as it used to, he sure still knows how to swing. Apart from his wife and his two daughters Wynton Marsalis appears on this album as a scatting vocalist (!).

In 1996 we heard about him was that he appeared in Marsalis’ opera ‘Blood on the fields’.

Now we've heard he is teaching (vocal) Jazz at Toledo

Discography

LHR: Sing a song of Basie for ABC
(published in 1958?)

LHR: Sing along with Basie for Roulette
(published in 1958?)

LHR: the hottest new group in jazz
(published in 1959 by Columbia)
1. Charleston Alley
2. Moaning
3. Twisted
4. Bijou
5. Cloudburst
6. Centerpiece
7. Gimme that wine
8. Sermonette
9. Summertime
10. Everybody’s boppin’

LHR sing Ellington
(published in 1960 by Columbia)
1. Cottontail
2. All too soon
3. Happy anatomy
4. Rocks in my bed
5. Main stem
6. I don’t know what kind of blues I’ve got
7. Things ain’t what the used to be
8. Midnight Indigo
9. What am I here for?
10. In a mellow tone
11. Caravan

LHR High flying with the Isaacs Trio
(Published in 1962 by Columbia)
1. Come on home
2. The new ABC
3. Farmer’s market
4. Cookin’ at the Continental
5. With Malice toward none
6. Hi Fly
7. Home Cookin’
8. Halloween spooks
9. Popity Pop
10. Blue
11. Mr P.C.

The three records mentioned above were re-issued by Sony on the Columbia Legacy-label in 1996, including the tracks of Walkin’, This here (dis hyunh), Swingin’ till the girls come home, Twist City, Just a little bit of twist and two versions of A night in Tunisia.

Jon Hendricks: Recorded in person at the Trident
(Published in 1964 by Smash records)
1. This could be the start of something
2. Watermelon man
3. Old folks
4. Gimme that wine
5. One rose
6. Cloudburst
7. Shiny silk stockings
8. Yeh! Yeh!
9. I wonder what’s become of Sally
10. Stockholm sweetning
11. Jon’s mumbles

Jon Hendricks & Company: Love
(Published in 1982 by Muse Records)
1. Royal garden blues
2. Bright moments
3. Willie’s tune
4. Good ol’ lady
5. Lil’ darlin’
6. I’ll die happy
7. Love (Berkshire blues)
8. Tell me the truth
9. The swinging groove merchant
10. Angel Eyes
11. In a Harlem airshaft

Jon Hendricks and friends
(Published in 1990 by Denon)
1. Jumpin’ at the woodside
2. In summer
3. Freddy Freeloader
4. Stardust
5. Sugar
6. Take the A-train
7. Fas’ livin’ blues
8. Swing that music
9. High as a mountain
10. Trinkle trinkle
11. The finer things in life
12. Listen to monk
13. Sing, sing, sing

Boppin’ at the Blue note
(published in 1995 by Telarc)
1. Get me to the Church on time
2. Do you call that a buddy?
3. Good ol’ lady
4. Contemporary blues
5. Everybody’s boppin’
6. Almost like being in love
7. Roll ’em Pete
8. It’s Sand, Man
9. Since I fell for you
10. Shiny stockings
11. One o’clock jump

See also jonhendricks.com for more information. (Thanks Sol).