If any man could be defined as the epitome of the modern jazz singer, it
would surely be Jon Hendricks. His contributions to jazz were colossal:
a hipster, a bopster, a comic and raconteur, a word-smith par
excellence, and a fearless improviser, he took the arts of scatting and
vocalese to new heights. As a founder member of the groundbreaking vocal
trio Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, he changed forever the public
perception of what a jazz singer could be.
Jon Hendricks started singing professionally at the age of seven. Within
five years he was supporting his entire family - including three
sisters, eleven brothers and a niece - with his earnings from radio
appearances. He was active in jazz long before the birth of bebop, and
didn't stop until he was in his nineties. Tutored by the pioneering
pianist Art Tatum, Hendricks performed with everyone of any consequence
in jazz, from Louis Armstrong to Jazzmeia Horn. Before Lambert,
Hendricks and Ross astonished the world with their first album Sing A
Song Of Basie, he was writing songs for Louis Jordan. Later he
influenced and worked with The Manhattan Transfer, Bobby McFerrin and
Kurt Elling. When he died in 2017, he left behind a final masterwork -
his vocal adaptation of the Miles Davis album Miles Ahead.
This is Bop is the first biography of Jon Hendricks. Based on
extensive research in both the USA and the UK, it draws on the author's
interviews with the Hendricks family and the many singers, musicians and
industry figures who worked closely with him. As well as telling the
story of his remarkable life, it also explores his legacy as a lyricist
and a scat singer, his contribution to the art of vocalese, and his
extraordinary gifts as a thinker and raconteur.
