Jon Hendricks
Jon Hendricks | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | John Carl Hendricks |
Born | Newark, Ohio, U.S. | September 16, 1921
Died | November 22, 2017 New York City, U.S. | (aged 96)
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Singer, lyricist |
Years active | 1957–2017 |
John Carl Hendricks (September 16, 1921 – November 22, 2017), known professionally as Jon Hendricks, was an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and replaces many instruments with vocalists, such as the big-band arrangements of Duke Ellington and Count Basie. He is considered one of the best practitioners of scat singing, which involves vocal jazz soloing. Jazz critic and historian Leonard Feather called him the "Poet Laureate of Jazz", while Time dubbed him the "James Joyce of Jive". Al Jarreau called him "pound-for-pound the best jazz singer on the planet—maybe that's ever been".[1]
Early years
This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2017) |
Born in 1921 in Newark, Ohio, Hendricks and his 14 siblings moved many times, following their father's assignments as an AME pastor, before settling permanently in Toledo. The house was often full of visiting jazz musicians, for whom Jon's mother provided meals.[2]
Hendricks began his singing career at the age of seven. He has said: "By the time I was 10, I was a local celebrity in Toledo. I had offers to go with Fats Waller when I was 12, and offers to go with Ted Lewis and be his shadow when I was 13. He had that song 'Me and My Shadow'. And he had this little Negro boy who was his shadow, that did everything he did. That was his act."[3] The Tatum family lived on the same street as the Hendrickses. Jon Hendricks received his early musical training from piano prodigy Art Tatum, and the two of them began appearing together around town.
As a teenager, Jon made good money from singing on the radio with a harmony group, The Swing Buddies. This earned him enough money to support his entire family. He continued performing around Toledo and Detroit until he was drafted into the US Army.[2]
World War II
As a soldier during World War II, Hendricks took part in the D-Day landings of June, 1944, and was later attached to the quartermaster's headquarters in France. When he and some black fellow soldiers were shot at by white US military police for consorting with white French women, they went on the run with truckloads of army supplies, remaining at large until eventually recaptured and court-martialled in November 1945. By then the war was over, and Hendricks served only 11 months in the stockade before returning home to attend University of Toledo on the G.I. Bill as a pre-law major.[2] Just when he was about to enter the graduate law program, the G.I. benefits ran out. Jon met his first wife Colleen "Connie" Moore in Toledo. They were married and eventually had 4 children.[2] One night in 1950, Hendricks got up and scatted at a Charlie Parker gig in Toledo. Parker encouraged him to come to New York and look him up. Hendricks moved his family there two years later and resumed his singing career.
Lambert, Hendricks and Ross
This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2017) |
After several years during which he wrote several songs for
Hendricks typically wrote lyrics not just to melodies but to entire instrumental solos, a notable example being his take on Ben Webster's tenor saxophone solo on Duke Ellington's original recording of "Cotton Tail", as featured on the album Lambert, Hendricks and Ross Sing Ellington (1960). His lyrics to Benny Golson's "I Remember Clifford" have been recorded by several other vocalists, including Dinah Washington, Carmen McRae, Nancy Wilson, Ray Charles, The Manhattan Transfer and Helen Merrill.[4]
From 1957 through 1962, the trio recorded six albums, including High Flying (1961), which won a Grammy for Best Performance by a Vocal Group, before Annie Ross departed due to health problems. She was replaced by Yolande Bavan, and the group was billed as Lambert, Hendricks and Bavan for the three live albums they recorded, 1962–64.
Countless singers cite the work of LH&R as an influence, including
For a performance at the 1960
Solo
Hendricks recorded two albums in 1961 –
His album Tell Me the Truth (Arista, 1975) was produced by
In 2000 Hendricks returned to his home town to teach at the
In the summer of 2003 Hendricks went on tour with the "Four Brothers", a quartet consisting of Hendricks, Kurt Elling, Mark Murphy and Kevin Mahogany. He worked on setting words to and arranging Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto as well as on two books, teaching and touring with his Vocalstra. He wrote lyrics to Gershwin's Piano Prelude No. 1 for the a cappella ensemble Pieces of 8's 2004 album Across the Blue Meridian.[8] He appeared in cameo roles in the films People I Know (2002) and White Men Can't Jump (1992).
In 2012, Hendricks appeared in the documentary film
Hendricks also appeared on three tracks from the 2016 release of the
In 2017, Hendricks' full lyricization of the album Miles Ahead, including Miles Davis' solos and Gil Evans' orchestrations, was completed fifty years after he had first conceived the idea. It was premiered in New York by UK-based choir the London Vocal Project, with Hendricks in attendance, with a studio recording to follow.[11][12]
Death
Hendricks died on November 22, 2017, in Manhattan, New York City, aged 96.[13]
Awards and honors
Hendricks was recognized with an NEA Jazz Master award in 1993,[14] multiple Grammy Awards,[15][16] and in 2004, he was honored in France with the Legion of Honour.
Discography
As leader
- A Good Git-Together (World Pacific, 1959)
- Evolution of the Blues Song (Columbia, 1960)
- Live Recording at Birdland with Count Basie (Roulette, 1961)
- Fast Livin' Blues (Columbia, 1962)
- ¡Salud! João Gilberto, Originator of the Bossa Nova (Reprise, 1963)
- Recorded in Person at the Trident (Smash, 1965)
- Jon Hendricks Live (Fontana, 1970)
- Times of Love (Philips, 1972)
- Tell Me the Truth (Arista, 1975)
- Cloudburst (Enja, 1982)
- Love (Muse, 1982)
- Freddie Freeloader (Denon, 1990)
- Boppin' at the Blue Note (Telarc, 1995)
With
- Sing a Song of Basie (ABC-Paramount, 1958)
- Sing Along with Basie (Roulette, 1958)
- The Swingers! (World Pacific, 1959)
- The Hottest New Group in Jazz (Columbia, 1959)
- Sing Ellington (Columbia, 1960)
- High Flying (Columbia, 1961)
- The Real Ambassadors (Columbia Masterworks, 1962)
- Basie Live in Person (Natural Organic, 1979)
- Everybody's Boppin (Columbia, 1989)
With Lambert, Hendricks and Bavan
- At Newport '63 (RCA Victor, 1963)
- Recorded Live at Basin Street East (RCA Victor, 1963)
- Havin' a Ball at the Village Gate (RCA Victor, 1964)
- Swingin' Till the Girls Come Home (Bluebird, 1987)
As guest
- 3 Cohens, Family (Anzic, 2011)[17]
- Karrin Allyson, Footprints (Concord Jazz, 2006)
- Art Blakey, Buhaina (Prestige, 1973)
- Terence Blanchard, People I Know (Decca, 2003)
- Dave Brubeck, Young Lions & Old Tigers (Telarc, 1995)
- Benny Carter Songbook(Musicmasters, 1997)
- Benny Carter, Benny Carter Songbook Volume II(MusicMasters, 1997)
- Neil Diamond, In My Lifetime (Columbia, 1996)
- Kurt Elling, Live in Chicago (Blue Note, 1999)
- Georgie Fame, Cool Cat Blues (Go Jazz, 1991)
- Al Grey, Al Grey Fab (Capri, 1990)
- Joyce, Language and Love (Verve, 1991)
- King Pleasure, King Pleasure Sings (Prestige, 1954)
- The Manhattan Transfer, Mecca for Moderns (Atlantic, 1981)
- The Manhattan Transfer, Vocalese (Atlantic, 1985)
- Ellis Marsalis Jr., Ellis Marsalis Trio (Blue Note, 1991)
- Wynton Marsalis, Crescent City Christmas Card (Columbia, 1989)
- Wynton Marsalis, Blood on the Fields (Columbia, 1997)
- Bobby McFerrin, Spontaneous Inventions (Blue Note, 1986)
- Thelonious Monk, Underground (Columbia, 1968)
- Jimmy Rowles and Stan Getz, The Peacocks (Columbia, 1975)
- George Russell, New York, N.Y. (Decca, 1959)
- Janis Siegel, Experiment in White (Atlantic, 1982)
- Take 6, The Standard (Heads Up, 2008)
- Larry Vuckovich, Cast Your Fate (Palo Alto, 1984)
- Royal Bopsters – The Royal Bopsters Project (Motema, 2015)
Filmography
- Music in Monk Time, a documentary tribute to Thelonious Monk, Hendricks served as co-writer, performer and narrator (1983, production by Songfilms International, Inc.)[18]
- The Steve Allen Plymouth Show Episode #4.11 (1958): Lambert, Hendricks & Ross[19]
- NET Playhouse Duke Ellington – A Concert of Sacred Music (1967): Jon Hendricks[20]
- Jazz Is Our Religion (1972)[21]
- White Men Can't Jump (1992): one of the Venice Beach Boys[22]
- Foreign Student (1994): April's Father[23]
- Jon Hendricks, Tell Me The Truth, a documentary about the artist, directed by Audrey Lasbleiz (2008, production Mosaïque Films, Paris).
- Blues March: Soldier Jon Hendricks, a documentary about the artist fighting on two fronts in World War II by Malte Rauchof ( Strandfilm Productions (2009)
References
- ^ Artist Confidential interview with Al Jarreau. XM Radio, 2007.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-78179-874-4.
- ^ Peter B. King, "Jon Hendricks still treasure of jazz world" Archived September 5, 2012, at archive.today, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 12, 1994. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
- ^ "I Remember Clifford". Secondhand Songs. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
- ^ "Joni Mitchell Makes Mingus Sing". Down Beat. September 6, 1979. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
- ^ Grateful Dead (December 5, 1966). "Grateful Dead Live at Studio on 5 December 1966". Retrieved November 23, 2017 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Underground". AllMusic. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ "Across the Blue Meridian – Pieces of Eight". AllMusic. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
- ^ The contributors Archived March 20, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, No One But Me.
- ^ Jazz, All About (June 17, 2017). "JC Hopkins Biggish Band: Meet Me At Minton's". All About Jazz. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
- ^ "After 50 Years, Hendricks' 'Miles Ahead' Remake Set for NYC Premiere", Down Beat, February 7, 2017/
- ^ "Jon Hendricks' Miles Ahead", London Vocal Project.
- ^ Keepnews, Peter (November 22, 2017). "Jon Hendricks, 96, Who Brought a New Dimension to Jazz Singing, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- ^ "NEA Jazz Masters: Jon Hendricks". National Endowment for the Arts. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^ "Lambert Hendricks And Ross". The Recording Academy. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^ "Jon Hendricks". The Recording Academy. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^ Astarita, Glenn (January 4, 2012). "3 Cohens: Family (2011)". All About Jazz. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
- ^ "Music in Monk Time (TV Special 1985)". IMDb.com. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
- ^ The Steve Allen Plymouth Show Episode #4.11, 1958-November-23 (Lambert, Hendricks & Ross), IMDb.
- ^ NET Playhouse Season 1 Episode 34, 1967-June-16 (Jon Hendricks), IMDb.
- ^ Jon Hendricks Filmography, IMDb.
- ^ White Men Can't Jump 1992-March-27 (Jon Hendricks), IMDb.
- ^ Foreign Student 1994-July-29 (Jon Hendricks), IMDb.
External links
- Jon Hendricks at AllMusic
- Jon Hendricks discography at Discogs
- Jon Hendricks at IMDb
- On Stage at the Kennedy Center: The Mark Twain Prize 2002 – Behind the Curtain – Jon Hendricks from PBS