John Carl Hendricks (September 16, 1921 – November 22, 2017), known professionally as Jon Hendricks, was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

lyricist and singer. He is one of the originators of

vocalese Vocalese is a style of jazz singing in which words are added to an instrumental soloist's improvisation. Definition Vocalese uses recognizable lyrics that are sung to pre-existing instrumental solos, as opposed to scat singing, which uses nonsen ...

, 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 William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

. He is considered one of the best practitioners of

scat singing In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. In scat singing, the singer improvises melodies and rhythms using the voice as an instrument rather than a speaking medium. ...

, which involves vocal jazz soloing. Jazz critic and historian

Leonard Feather Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing. Biography Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...

called him the "Poet Laureate of Jazz", while ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

'' dubbed him the "

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

of Jive". Al Jarreau called him "pound-for-pound the best jazz singer on the planet—maybe that's ever been".

Early years

Born in 1921 in

Newark, Ohio Newark ( ) is a city serving as the county seat of Licking County, Ohio, United States, east of Columbus, at the junction of the forks of the Licking River. The population was 49,934 at the 2020 census, which makes it the 15th largest city in O ...

, Hendricks and his 14 siblings moved many times, following their father's assignments as an

AME #REDIRECT AME {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from ambiguous page ...

pastor, before settling permanently in Toledo. The house was often full of visiting jazz musicians, for whom Jon's mother provided meals. 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 "Me and My Shadow" is a 1927 popular song. Officially the credits show it as written by Al Jolson, Billy Rose, and Dave Dreyer, with Jolson and Dreyer being shown on the sheet music as being responsible for the music and Rose the lyrics. Al ...

'. And he had this little Negro boy who was his shadow, that did everything he did. That was his act." The Tatum family lived on the same street as the Hendrickses. Jon Hendricks received his early musical training from piano prodigy

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

, 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.

World War II

As a soldier during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Hendricks took part in the

D-Day landings The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

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 The University of Toledo (UToledo or UT) is a public research university in Toledo, Ohio. It is the northernmost campus of the University System of Ohio. The university also operates a Health Science campus, which includes the University of ...

on the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

as a pre-law major. 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. One night in 1950, Hendricks got up and scatted at a

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

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

After several years during which he wrote several songs for Louis Jordan and recorded with

King Pleasure King Pleasure (born Clarence Beeks; March 24, 1922 – March 21, 1982) was an American jazz vocalist and an early master of vocalese, where a singer sings words to a well-known instrumental solo. Biography Born as Clarence Beeks in Oakdale, Te ...

, he teamed up with Dave Lambert, who conceived the idea to record a selection of

's instrumental numbers with voices replacing the Basie orchestra's wind instruments. Jon wrote the lyrics, and they sold the idea to Creed Taylor, who had recently started working as an A&R man for ABC-Paramount Ampar. After a disastrous initial attempt to record the songs with a choir, they decided to multi-track their own voices, with

Annie Ross Annabelle McCauley Allan Short (25 July 193021 July 2020), known professionally as Annie Ross, was a British-American singer and actress, best known as a member of the jazz vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. Early life Ross was born in Surr ...

providing the high notes. It was not the first time the technique of overdubbing had been used, but it was an early and innovative example. The result was a best-selling album, ''

Sing a Song of Basie ''Sing a Song of Basie'' is a 1958 album by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. Track listing # " Every Day I Have the Blues" (Memphis Slim) – 5:18 # "It's Sand, Man!" ( Hendricks, Lambert, Ed Lewis) – 2:27 # "Two for the Blues" (Neal Hefti, Hendri ...

.'' Its success prompted them to form the legendary vocal trio

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Lambert, Hendricks & Ross were an American vocalese trio formed by jazz vocalists Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross. From 1962 to 1964, Ross was replaced by vocalist Yolande Bavan. History The group formed in 1957 and recorded their f ...

(LH&R). With Hendricks as lyricist and Lambert as arranger, the trio perfected the art of

and took it around the world, earning them numerous awards and accolades. In September 1959, they appeared on the cover of

Down Beat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

under the headline "

The Hottest New Group in Jazz ''The Hottest New Group in Jazz'', also known by its full title ''Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross!: "The Hottest New Group in Jazz"'' or alternatively considered self-titled, is the fourth album by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, released in 1960. The titl ...

", which they adopted as the title of their Grammy-nominated fourth album. Hendricks typically wrote lyrics not just to melodies but to entire instrumental solos, a notable example being his take on

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Early life and career A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he studied violin, learned how to play blues on the piano from ...

's tenor saxophone solo on Duke Ellington's original recording of "

Cotton Tail "Cotton Tail" is a 1940 composition by Duke Ellington. It is based on the rhythm changes from George Gershwin's " I Got Rhythm". The first Ellington recording (4 May 1940) is notable for the driving tenor saxophone solo by Ben Webster. Originally ...

", 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 Dinah Washington (born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, who has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the 1950s songs". Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performe ...

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

, Nancy Wilson,

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

, The Manhattan Transfer and

Helen Merrill Helen Merrill (born Jelena Ana Milcetic; July 21, 1930) is an American jazz vocalist. Her first album, the eponymous 1954 recording '' Helen Merrill'' (with Clifford Brown), was an immediate success and associated her with the first generation ...

. 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 Yolande Bavan (born June 1, 1942) is a Sri Lankan singer and actress. Career Bavan toured Australia and Asia as a performer with Graeme Bell's band early in her career. She is best known for replacing Annie Ross in the jazz vocal group Lambert, ...

, 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 Joni Mitchell,

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

, Al Jarreau and

Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...

. The song "

Yeh Yeh "Yeh, Yeh" (in some territories released as "Yeah, yeh, yeh") is a Latin American music, Latin soul music, soul tune that was written as an instrumental by Rodgers Grant and Pat Patrick (musician), Pat Patrick, and first recorded by Mongo Santa ...

", for which Hendricks composed the lyrics, became a no.1 hit in 1965 for British R&B-jazz singer

Georgie Fame Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell; 26 June 1943) is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the on ...

, who continues to record and perform Lambert, Hendricks & Ross compositions to this day. In 1966 Hendricks recorded "Fire in the City" with the Warlocks, who shortly after changed their name to the Grateful Dead. Hendricks wrote lyrics for several

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...

songs, including "

In Walked Bud "In Walked Bud" is a 1947 jazz composition by Thelonious Monk. It was composed by Monk in honor of his friend, fellow pianist Bud Powell, and based in part on the Irving Berlin standard " Blue Skies". Monk recorded many renditions of "In Walked B ...

", which he performed on Monk's 1968 album ''

Underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ...

''. For a performance at the 1960 Monterey Jazz Festival, he created and starred in a musical he called ''Evolution of the Blues Song'' (later shortened to ''Evolution of the Blues''), which featured such acclaimed singers as

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...

, Hannah Dean, and "Big" Miller, as well as saxophonists

and

Pony Poindexter Norwood "Pony" Poindexter (February 8, 1926, New Orleans, Louisiana – April 14, 1988, Oakland, California) was an American jazz saxophonist. Poindexter began on clarinet and switched to playing alto and tenor sax. In 1940 he studied unde ...

. The ensemble played not only Hendricks' words and music but also Percy Mayfield's classic " Please Send Me Someone to Love", the driving D. Love gospel song "That's Enough", and the blues evergreen, "

C.C. Rider "See See Rider", also known as "C.C. Rider", "See See Rider Blues" or "Easy Rider", is a popular American 12-bar blues song that became a standard in several genres. Ma Rainey, Gertrude "Ma" Rainey was the first to record it on October 16, 192 ...

". In 1961, Columbia Records released an LP of the production and Hendricks later presented the show at the On Broadway Theater in San Francisco, where it ran for five years, and at the Westwood Playhouse in Los Angeles, where it was produced by attorneys Burton Marks and Mark Green.

Solo

Hendricks recorded two albums in 1961 – '' Salud! João Gilberto'' (Reprise) and ''Fast Livin' Blues'' (Columbia). Having divorced Colleen and married Judith Dickstein, Hendricks moved to

Mill Valley Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States, located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and from Napa Valley. The population was 14,231 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...

, California, reuniting with his children, who had been farmed out to relatives since the divorce. There he recorded ''Recorded in Person at the Trident'' (Smash). Later that year he was invited by Duke Ellington to take part in the latter's Concert of Sacred Music at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral. In 1968, he moved the family again, this time to London, England, partly so that his four children could receive a better education, and partly to distance them from the pervasive Californian drug culture. Using London as his base, he toured Europe and Africa, performed frequently on British radio and television with such stars of the day as

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, ...

and

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, pop and dram ...

, as well as

Ronnie Scott Ronnie may refer to: * Ronnie (name), a unisex pet name and given name * "Ronnie" (Four Seasons song), a song by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe *"Ronnie," a song from the Metallica album '' Load'' *Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, an association football stadiu ...

and the comedian

Marty Feldman Martin Alan Feldman (8 July 1934 – 2 December 1982) was a British actor, comedian and comedy writer. He was known for his prominent, misaligned eyes. He initially gained prominence as a writer with Barry Took on the ITV sitcom ''Boot ...

. His sold-out club dates at

Ronnie Scott's Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959. History The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sco ...

drew fans such as the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. Hendricks also recorded two albums in London – ''Jon Hendricks Live'' (Fontana) and ''Times of Love'' (Philips), which was released in the US as ''September Songs'' (Stanyan, 1975). After five years, the Hendricks family returned to Mill Valley, where Hendricks worked as the jazz critic for the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The ...

'' and taught classes at

California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public univers ...

at Sonoma and the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Franci ...

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

. In 1973 he recorded two songs with

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummer Art Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the o ...

–

Bobby Timmons Robert Henry Timmons (December 19, 1935 – March 1, 1974) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He was a sideman in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for two periods (July 1958 to September 1959; February 1960 to June 1961), between which he wa ...

's "

Moanin' ''Moanin'' (originally titled ''Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers'') is a jazz album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers recorded in 1958 for the Blue Note label and released in 1959. Background This was Blakey's first album for Blue Note ...

" and Benny Golson's "Along Came Betty" which appeared on Blakey's ''

Buhaina ''Buhaina'' is an album by drummer Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers recorded in 1973 and released on the Prestige label.Ben Sidran Ben Hirsh Sidran (born August 14, 1943) is an American jazz and rock keyboardist, producer, label owner, and music writer. Early in his career he was a member of the Steve Miller Band and is the father of Grammy-nominated musician, composer an ...

. ''Love'' (Muse, 1982) by Jon Hendricks & Company came next, and featured his daughter Michele. He collaborated with old friends The Manhattan Transfer for their seminal 1985 album, ''

Vocalese Vocalese is a style of jazz singing in which words are added to an instrumental soloist's improvisation. Definition Vocalese uses recognizable lyrics that are sung to pre-existing instrumental solos, as opposed to scat singing, which uses nonsen ...

'', which won seven Grammy Awards. He served on the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

Honors committee under presidents

Carter Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to: Geography United States * Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Carter, Montana, a census-designated place * Carter ...

Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

, and Clinton. His final studio album, the Grammy-nominated ''Freddie Freeloader'', was released in 1990, and featured an all-star line-up that included

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

, Al Jarreau, Bobby McFerrin,

Tommy Flanagan Thomas Lee Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He grew up in Detroit, initially influenced by such pianists as Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole, and then by bebop musicians. ...

Jimmy Cobb Wilbur James "Jimmy" Cobb (January 20, 1929May 24, 2020) was an American jazz drummer. He was part of Miles Davis's First Great Sextet. At the time of his death, he had been the band's last surviving member for nearly thirty years. He was a ...

Larry Goldings Lawrence Sam “Larry” Goldings (born August 28, 1968) is an American jazz keyboardist and composer. His music has explored elements of funk, blues, and fusion. Goldings has a comedic alter ego known as Hans Groiner. Life and career Golding ...

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, teacher, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has promoted classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Award ...

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion ...

Al Grey Al Grey (June 6, 1925 – March 24, 2000) was an American jazz trombonist who was a member of the Count Basie orchestra. He was known for his plunger mute technique and wrote an instructional book in 1987 called ''Plunger Techniques''. Care ...

, The Manhattan Transfer and the Count Basie Orchestra. In 2000 Hendricks returned to his home town to teach at the

, where he was appointed Distinguished Professor of Jazz Studies and received an honorary Doctorate of the Performing Arts. He was selected to be the first American jazz artist to lecture at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

in Paris. His 15-voice group, the Jon Hendricks Vocalstra at the University of Toledo, performed at the Sorbonne in 2002. Hendricks also wrote lyrics to some classical pieces including "On the Trail" from

Ferde Grofe Ferde AS is a Norwegian toll company owned by Agder, Rogaland and Vestland counties. The company was created on 5 October 2016 is headquartered in Bergen. The company was called Sørvest Bomvegselskap AS until 1 January 2018. All toll roads in No ...

's '' Grand Canyon Suite''. The Vocalstra premiered a vocalese version of

Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov . At the time, his name was spelled Николай Андреевичъ Римскій-Корсаковъ. la, Nicolaus Andreae filius Rimskij-Korsakov. The composer romanized his name as ''Nicolas Rimsk ...

's "

Scheherazade Scheherazade () is a major female character and the storyteller in the frame narrative of the Middle Eastern collection of tales known as the '' One Thousand and One Nights''. Name According to modern scholarship, the name ''Scheherazade'' de ...

" with the

Toledo Symphony The Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts was created in 2019 when the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and the Toledo Ballet merged. Based in Toledo, Ohio, it operated with a $13.2 million budget in its fiscal year 2020 and maintains the two brand n ...

. In the summer of 2003 Hendricks went on tour with the "Four Brothers", a quartet consisting of Hendricks,

Kurt Elling Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church. He sang in cho ...

, Mark Murphy and

Kevin Mahogany Kevin Bryant Mahogany (July 30, 1958 – December 17, 2017) was an American jazz vocalist who became prominent in the 1990s. Particularly known for his scat singing, his singing style has been compared with those of Billy Eckstine, Joe William ...

. 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''. He appeared in cameo roles in the films ''

People I Know ''People I Know'' is a 2002 crime drama film directed by Daniel Algrant and stars Al Pacino, Kim Basinger, and Téa Leoni. The film received mixed reviews, with Rotten Tomatoes giving a rating of 43%. Plot Eli Wurman ( Al Pacino) is an aging, ...

'' (2002) and ''

White Men Can't Jump ''White Men Can't Jump'' is a 1992 American sports comedy film written and directed by Ron Shelton. It stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as streetball hustlers. The film was released in the United States on March 27, 1992, by 20th Century ...

'' (1992). In 2012, Hendricks appeared in the documentary film '' No One But Me'', discussing his former bandmate and friend,

. In 2015, Hendricks lost his second wife Judith to a brain tumor. Hendricks also appeared on three tracks from the 2016 release of the JC Hopkins Biggish Band titled "Meet Me at Minton's". He performs vocalese on "Suddenly (In Walked Bud)", is included in the ensemble on the album's title track "Meet Me at Minton's", and croons a duet of the Monk tune "How I Wish (Ask Me Now)" with singer and 2016 Thelonious Monk Competition winner

Jazzmeia Horn Jazzmeia Horn (born April 16, 1991) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. She won the Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition in 2015. Horn's repertoire includes jazz standards and covers of songs from other genres, inclu ...

. At the time of the recording he was 93 and Horn was 23. In 2017, Hendricks' full lyricization of the album '' Miles Ahead'', including

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

' solos and

Gil Evans Ian Ernest Gilmore Evans (né Green; May 13, 1912 – March 20, 1988) was a Canadian–American jazz pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest orchestrators in jazz, playing an important role i ...

' 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.

Death

Hendricks died on November 22, 2017 in Manhattan, New York City, aged 96.

Awards and honors

Hendricks was recognized with an NEA Jazz Master award in 1993, multiple Grammy Awards, and in 2004, he was honored in France with the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

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

Lambert, Hendricks and Ross Lambert, Hendricks & Ross were an American vocalese trio formed by jazz vocalists Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross. From 1962 to 1964, Ross was replaced by vocalist Yolande Bavan. History The group formed in 1957 and recorded their f ...

* ''

'' (ABC-Paramount, 1958) * '' Sing Along with Basie'' (Roulette, 1958) * ''The Swingers!'' (World Pacific, 1959) * ''

'' (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 ''Havin' a Ball at the Village Gate'' is the last album by the reformed jazz vocal group Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan, of Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks with Yolande Bavan. The group was formed after Annie Ross left the vocal group in 1962. The al ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1964) * ''Swingin' Till the Girls Come Home'' (Bluebird, 1987)

As guest

* 3 Cohens, ''Family'' ( Anzic, 2011) *

Karrin Allyson Karrin Allyson (pronounced ''KAR-in''; born Karrin Allyson Schoonover on July 27, 1963) is an American jazz vocalist. She has been nominated for five Grammy Awards and has received positive reviews from several prominent sources, including the ...

, ''Footprints'' (Concord Jazz, 2006) * Art Blakey, ''

Buhaina ''Buhaina'' is an album by drummer Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers recorded in 1973 and released on the Prestige label.Terence Blanchard Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed ...

, ''People I Know'' (Decca, 2003) * Dave Brubeck, '' Young Lions & Old Tigers'' (Telarc, 1995) *

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

, ''

Benny Carter Songbook ''Songbook'' is an album by American saxophonist and composer Benny Carter, released in 1996 by MusicMasters Records.Benny Carter Songbook Volume II ''Songbook Volume II'' is an album by American saxophonist and composer Benny Carter, released in 1997 by MusicMasters Records.Neil Diamond, ''In My Lifetime'' (Columbia, 1996) *

, '' Live in Chicago'' (Blue Note, 1999) *

, ''Cool Cat Blues'' (Go Jazz, 1991) *

, ''Al Grey Fab'' (Capri, 1990) * Joyce, ''Language and Love'' (Verve, 1991) *

, ''King Pleasure Sings'' (Prestige, 1954) * The Manhattan Transfer, ''

Mecca for Moderns ''Mecca for Moderns'' is the sixth studio album by The Manhattan Transfer. It was released in 1981 by Atlantic Records. This album was the highest-charting album to date for the group, peaking on '' Billboard'' magazine's Top Pop Catalog Alb ...

'' (Atlantic, 1981) * The Manhattan Transfer, ''

'' (Atlantic, 1985) * Ellis Marsalis Jr., ''Ellis Marsalis Trio'' (Blue Note, 1991) *

, ''

Crescent City Christmas Card ''Crescent City Christmas Card'' is an album by jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis that was released in 1989. The album reached a peak position of number fourteen on ''Billboard'' Top Jazz Albums chart. Track listing Personnel * Wynton Marsalis ...

'' (Columbia, 1989) * Wynton Marsalis, ''

Blood on the Fields ''Blood on the Fields'' is a two-and-a-half-hour jazz oratorio by Wynton Marsalis. It was commissioned by Lincoln Center and treats the history of slavery and its aftermath in the United States of America. The oratorio tells the story of two slav ...

'' (Columbia, 1997) *

, ''

Spontaneous Inventions ''Spontaneous Inventions'' is a 1986 live album by American vocalist Bobby McFerrin, released by Blue Note Records. The album reached number 103 on the ''Billboard'' 200, number 62 on ''Billboards R&B Albums chart, number 6 on the Top Jazz Albu ...

'' (Blue Note, 1986) *

, ''

'' (Columbia, 1968) *

Jimmy Rowles James George Hunter (August 19, 1918 – May 28, 1996), known professionally as Jimmy Rowles (sometimes spelled Jimmie Rowles), was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, and composer. As a bandleader and accompanist, he explored multiple styles in ...

and Stan Getz, '' The Peacocks'' (Columbia, 1975) * George Russell, '' New York, N.Y.'' (Decca, 1959) *

Janis Siegel Janis Siegel (born July 23, 1952) is an American jazz singer, best known as a member of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. Musical career In 1965, Siegel made her recording debut with a group called Young Generation on Red Bird Records. A ...

, ''Experiment in White'' (Atlantic, 1982) *

Take 6 Take 6 is an American a cappella gospel sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. The group integrates jazz with spiritual and inspirational lyrics. Take 6 has received several Grammy Awards as well as Dove ...

, '' 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

, Hendricks served as co-writer, performer and narrator (1983, production by Songfilms International, Inc.) *''

The Steve Allen Plymouth Show ''The Steve Allen Show'' was an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC,

'' Episode #4.11 (1958): Lambert, Hendricks & Ross *''

NET Playhouse ''NET Playhouse'' was an American dramatic television anthology series produced by National Educational Television. NET subsequently merged with WNDT Newark to form WNET, and was superseded by the Public Broadcasting Service, though the NET titl ...

'' Duke Ellington – A Concert of Sacred Music (1967): Jon Hendricks *''Jazz Is Our Religion'' (1972) *''

'' (1992): one of the Venice Beach Boys *''Foreign Student'' (1994): April's Father''Foreign Student'' 1994-July-29 (Jon Hendricks)
IMDb. *''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

External links

* * *

from

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hendricks, Jon 1921 births 2017 deaths American jazz singers American jazz songwriters American male songwriters American male jazz musicians American lyricists Grammy Award winners People from Newark, Ohio University of Toledo alumni University of Toledo faculty University of Paris faculty Vocalese singers Songwriters from Ohio Jazz musicians from Ohio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross members United States Army personnel of World War II American expatriates in France