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IN 1979, FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER DESIGNATED JUNE AS BLACK MUSIC MONTH, A NATIONWIDE TRIBUTE TO SIGNIFICANT AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTISTS AND THEIR MUSICAL CONTRIBUTIONS. IN HONOR OF THIS YEAR'S CELEBRATIONS, VOA'S DOUG LEVINE PROFILES THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF JAZZ SINGER AND COMPOSER JON HENDRICKS.23-May-97JON HENDRICKS WAS THE CO-FOUNDER OF LAMBERT, HENDRICKS AND ROSS, THE PREMIER 1950'S GROUP THAT HELPED POPULARIZE A SINGING STYLE KNOWN AS VOCALESE. THE TRIO LASTED FIVE YEARS, BUT THEIR INNOVATIVE IMPROVISATIONS INFLUENCED SUCH GREATS AS TONY BENNETT, PEGGY LEE, BOBBY MCFERRIN AND THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER. TIME MAGAZINE ONCE DESCRIBED JON HENDRICKS AS "THE JAMES JOYCE OF JIVE." HIS IMPECCABLE TIMING AND LYRICAL GENIUS HAVE MADE HIM ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST ADMIRED ENTERTAINERS.
JON HENDRICKS CAME FROM A LARGE FAMILY. HE WAS BORN IN NEWARK, OHIO ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1921, ONE OF SEVENTEEN CHILDREN. WHILE ATTENDING SCOTT HIGH SCHOOL, HENDRICKS WROTE, PRODUCED AND STARRED IN A REVUE CALLED "SCOTTS-A-POPPIN'." HE ALSO PERFORMED ON A LOCAL RADIO SHOW AS THE FEATURED SINGER WITH THE SWING BUDDIES. FOLLOWING A STINT IN THE MILITARY, HE STUDIED LAW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO, WHILE PLAYING DRUMS AND SINGING SEVEN NIGHTS-A-WEEK. HE FIRST COLLABORATED WITH VOCALIST DAVE LAMBERT IN 1957. TWO YEARS LATER, THEY TEAMED UP WITH BRITISH SINGER ANNIE ROSS TO RECORD THEIR CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED ALBUM "SING A SONG FOR BASIE." ACCORDING TO HENDRICKS, COUNT BASIE'S ARRANGEMENTS WERE PERFECTLY SUITED FOR VOCALESE.
"VOCALESE IS THE SETTING OF LYRICS TO ESTABLISHED JAZZ ARRANGEMENTS. LIKE COUNT BASIE'S 'ONE O'CLOCK JUMP.' HIS PIANO INTRO (SINGS). IT'S PUTTING WORDS TO WHAT USUALLY YOU'VE HEARD INSTRUMENTALLY AND ORCHESTRALLY. AND IT GIVES THE ILLUSION THAT THE WHOLE BAND IS SINGING. I CALL IT MORE LIKE PUTTING LIBRETTI TO OPERA. I CALL IT THE METROPOLITAN BOPERA COMPANY (LAUGHS)."
ALTHOUGH HE ROSE TO FAME AS A SINGER, JON HENDRICKS PROVED HIMSELF A PROLIFIC SONGWRITER. HIS SONGS HAVE BEEN RECORDED BY ERNESTINE ANDERSON, GEORGIE FAME, LOUIS JORDAN AND OTHERS. HENDRICKS COMPOSED, PRODUCED, DIRECTED AND NARRATED THE LONG-RUNNING MUSICAL "EVOLUTION OF THE BLUES," WHICH DEBUTED AT THE MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL IN THE 1960'S. IN 1985, HE WROTE THE LYRICS FOR THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER'S MULTIPLE GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ALBUM "VOCALESE." HIS DUET WITH BOBBY MCFERRIN ON "ANOTHER NIGHT IN TUNISIA" FROM "VOCALESE" EARNED BOTH SINGERS A GRAMMY FOR BEST JAZZ VOCAL PERFORMANCE. IN 1992, JON HENDRICKS RECEIVED THE AMERICAN JAZZ MASTERS FELLOWSHIP AWARD, THE HIGHEST HONOR GIVEN TO AN AMERICAN JAZZ ARTIST. HIS ALBUM "BOPPIN' AT THE BLUE NOTE" FEATURES HIS WIFE JUDITH AND DAUGHTERS MICHELLE AND ARIA ON VOCALS. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF HIS CAREER WAS TOURING IN WYNTON MARSALIS' PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING EPIC "BLOOD ON THE FIELDS."
DURING BLACK MUSIC MONTH, VOA HONORS OUTSTANDING AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTISTS FOR THEIR MUSICAL CONTRIBUTIONS. TODAY'S FOCUS WAS ON THE LIFE AND CAREER OF JAZZ SINGER AND COMPOSER JON HENDRICKS.
