Thinkin' About Jon

Jon Hendricks was a refugee of the Big Band Age in the 40’s. Sometime in the 1950’s he developed a form of jazz ‘scat singing’ that would revolutionize jazz singing for all time. His style was to put lyrics to jazz instrumentals, mimicking the improvisations of the horn parts. He called it ‘Vocalese’. You probably don’t know who I’m talking about so next time you watch ‘White Men Can’t Jump’, look for Jon in the trio of singers who tied parts of the movie together. Jon was the older Black Man with the Cabbie Hat on.

So we’d just finished a concert at Niagara University in Upstate New York. 1967…and it was probably Springtime. You don’t want to be in Niagara, New York in the Winter. We were walking down the street, looking for a place to unwind and grab a sandwich and a beer…or three…and we came upon a Sidewalk Board in front of a small club that was advertising –

‘ TONITE ONLY! ~ THE JON HENDRICKS TRIO ‘

So of course…we went in.

Not many folks in the house so we got a table near the little bandstand. I remember the club had Ballantine Ale on tap. It was a class establishment…Pretty soon The Jon Hendricks Trio sauntered up and started their set. After we had eaten, and lubricated, and enjoyed the hell out of the set, Jon came to the table, sat down, and soon we were talkin’ like it was Old Home Week, tradin’ stories, talkin’ about Sessions we’d done… Jon smiled.

"So how you doin', Kids?” He tilted his head, patted the corners of his mouth with a napkin.

"We’re gettin' by", I said. "I saw where Dave died. Annie still in New York?"

"Back to London. She got off the path, if you catch my drift. I'm thinkin' ‘bout putting a blues thing together." He tapped out a wicked tempo with his fingers. "Sort of a one-man show." Then he sang… "Shap-de-blam. Dweedlee-ee-dweedle-daydoe. blap, blam, diddledee-ay."

Jon was a lovely man, very hip, very together. A lovely evening for sure… During the next set Jon invited us up on stage and of course…we went at a dead run. We backed Jon up on a couple songs and then did the old Lambert, Hendricks,& Ross chestnut…’Sermonette’, layin’ down the basic vocal bed with Jon adding his ‘Vocalese’ over the whole sound. It was…magical.

When I look back over my musical life there are maybe five or six moments that I will carry to my grave; working Michigan State to an audience of 13,000…Opening for Richard Pryor at Marietta College in Ohio…playing a gig in Gavle, Sweden with an All-Girl Rock Band from Prague…moments like that.

But that night in Niagara, New York with Jon Hendricks...was the greatest of them all…..

….in the Sixties I was part of a trio that mostly worked concerts and now and then…small clubs. David, della Rosa & Brooks originated in Baltimore with Hod David on 6 String Guitar and high harmonies, Dianne della Rosa, the lead singer, and I played 12 String Guitar and filled in the 3rd harmony. We were good. Two hours, encore, hang out with the audience and then hit the road for the next gig. Today is Wednesday. We must be in Statesville, North Carolina.

We were an old school group. Dianne had sung standards and mostly blues while Hod had worked in a New York based folk group – The Just IV – and I was a veteran of 50’s Rock & Roll, Jazz, and Folk as well. I was the ‘schooled musician’ in the group, having studied piano from a private teacher since age 6 and theory in college. I had – and hopefully still have – ‘Big Ears’…

We took our musical lead from a jazz singing group – Lambert, Hendricks & Ross who changed the sound of vocal jazz in the 50’s and early 60’s. Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, and Annie Ross. Click here…you’ll hear what I mean.