Jon Hendricks - "That Cat Can Scat"

Today I'd like to raise a glass in honor of the great jazz singer Jon Hendricks.  An original.  A real jazz lyricist.  An American treasure.

Mister Vocalese,  as he is known,  adds lyrics to existing jazz instrumental songs,  at times substituting vocals for instruments.  He created many vocal arrangements for Duke Ellington, Woody Herman and Count Basie, one favorite and very successful arrangement he created was for the song "Shiny Stockings", written by the jazz great Frank Foster for the Basie band.  Covered in an earlier blog of mine, titled 'Shiny Stockings', 27 July 2011.

Jon Hendricks is perhaps firstly known for his works with Lambert Hendricks & Ross, referring to the legendary jazz trio of David Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross.  Later Manhattan Transfer.  Their unique style of 12 rack overlay lead to a string of successful LP's such as Everybody's  Boppin,  Sing A Song Of Basie,  Twisted,  which Joni Mitchell would cover and give birth to her jazz roots.  The LP "Improvisations of the Human Voice" pushed the boundaries for the trio. Taking on more challenging and complex arrangements and phasing.

A chance singing engagement with the great jazz be - bop saxophonist Charlie Parker changed Jon Hendricks' course of life.  He no longer saw himself as a lawyer, which he was studying at the time, but he quit his studies, moved to New York to take up tin pan alley lyric writing with Dave Lambret.  The rest is history.

Jon sang alongside the other great jazz singers such as King Pleasure, Eddie Jefferson,who pioneered vocalese in the 1950's with 'I'm In The Mood For Love and Moodys Mood  For Love".  Billy Esktine. Joe Williams and Johnny Hartman.  What Jon Hendricks did that differed was that he added more lines, more lyrics,  the entire orchestra to the vocalese not just the single line,  or instrument typical of both King Pleasure and Eddie Jefferson.

The scatting of Jon Hendricks is what really sets him apart for all other jazz singers. If there is anyone to compare this ability to add musical sounds to songs in substitute of words to songs would be Ella Fitzgerald.   She as he has the musical finesse , vocal acrobatics and horn instrumental  knowledge to compare.

If you give a listen to the widely acclaimed  'Freddie Freeloader", Jon Hendricks and Friends, CD, featuring the likes of Al Jarreau, Bobbie McFerrin, George Benson, what he does to interpret the John Coltrane solo is pure Hendricks as he captures 'Tranes horn phrasing on "Speaking of Freddie, Who is Freddie to Me', , , .  The song ends with a hearty chuckle. Thats one of the many qualities of Jon Hendricks that attracts me to his voice,  he makes singing sound fun.