Equinox Publishing has a long list of histories and biographies of acclaimed jazz musicians on offer (arguably some are more knowledgeable than others), including a recent volume on the celebrated singer Jon Hendricks that makes for a welcomed addition to their series. The volume contains an introduction and is followed by 10 chapters and three appendices. First, the author Peter Jones offers an insight into Hendricks’ family tree, his African American background and his upbringing until he was drafted to fight in World War II, at the age of 21. This is an animated and well-crafted story. He then accounts for Hendricks’ experience fighting in Europe. The systemic discrimination that Hendricks and his fellow African American soldiers endured will shock many; the recollection here reminded me of W.E.B. Dubois’ poem ‘Returning soldiers’ (May 1919), written in response to the injustices that black soldiers had to face upon their return fighting from World War I to the segregated United States. Despite the grim descriptions, however, the author includes plenty of anecdotal stories that will put a smile on the reader's face. In Chapter 3 the author accounts for Hendricks’ return from the war, his efforts at getting higher education and his second marriage, as well as some of his musical endeavours. Among others, Jones accounts for Hendricks’ first vocalese recordings: the jazz vocal style in which the voice emulates an instrumental part, which Hendricks was known for developing together with vocalist and lyricist Dave Lambert. The formation of the renown Lambert, Hendricks and Ross trio (L.H.R.) and the recording of the immensely successful Sing a Song Basie is the subject of the fourth chapter.

Jon Hendricks’ experience of the public reaction to mixed-race couples and interracial groups features prominently throughout this volume: his marriage to Colleen Jean Moore, a white woman of Irish heritage colloquially known as Connie, and subsequently his collaboration with the singer Annie Ross triggered negative reactions from the public. In Chapter 5 the author accounts for Hendricks’ romance with another white woman, Judith Dickstein, who was also Jewish and therefore quite an antithesis to the Black, and Christian, Hendricks. Here the author also describes Hendricks’ further development: his recordings and performances with the L.H.R. trio and the creation of Hendricks Music Inc., through which the singer's lyrics were published. The trio was not long lived, however, as Ross had to retire to a nursing home because of her substance addiction, meaning that Lambert and Hendricks had to resort to other solutions to make up for her parts, including occasionally hiring replacement singers when they simply couldn't divide Ross's parts between them. In Chapter 6, the author tells the story of how Yolande Bavan was soon to become their next singer, and accounts for the trio's work, now renamed as Lambert, Hendricks and Bavan (although sometimes advertised as ‘Lambert, Hendricks and Yolande’), until Hendricks decided to stop touring so extensively and attempted to settle down. This didn't last long, and the family soon moved to London, which at the time was home to several African American jazz musicians. Hendricks moved to London in 1968 and Chapter 7 accounts for Hendricks’ adventures in the Continent, this time accompanied by the majority of his children. Less than five years later the family had returned to the US and settled on the East Coast. Teaching, gigging and occasionally writing for jazz magazines kept Hendricks busy for much of the 1970s, which is accounted for in Chapter 8. Hendricks’ inventions had by that time widely impacted the jazz community, particularly vocalists, and reference to the Grammy-awarded vocal group Manhattan Transfer is made. The penultimate chapter accounts for the recording of Hendricks’ final studio album, Freddie Freeloader (1990), as well as more touring and artistic endeavours. The concluding chapter summarises what is an entertaining story.

Detractors may find that some of the language used here reinforces certain stereotypes often found in jazz (‘Hendricks became a master of jazz, the only American art form’, among others p. 5). Although the author is critical of the sources he consults, some of the oral accounts on offer go unchallenged. The extended references to Hendricks’ collaborations with British musicians may come across as forced, particularly in the last chapter (they were, after all, not that important in Hendricks’ career), but the inclusion is understood given the author's position in the British jazz scene. Although the author consults archives and interviews a series of jazz musicians, some more well known than others, there isn't much engagement with the many living colleagues and students of Hendricks. I had the chance to meet several over the years and some are certainly worth interviewing (singer Marion Cowings, for example, to name but one, a much-respected musician in New York jazz circles who studied with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross and eventually replaced Lambert in the trio). Upon his return from the UK to the US in the 1970s, Hendricks began teaching jazz history classes at California State University at Sonoma and the University of California at Berkeley and later vocalese at the University of Toledo. I wonder what kind of material he taught and how? Do any of his students have notes? I would love to see them. As expected, and as confirmed by the author, there were never any lessons plans, learning outcomes or anything of this sort (p. 147). Perhaps his reception as a singer, lyricist and teacher could be the subject of future work. All in all, this is a well-researched work, and the author does a very good job at shedding light on an important jazz musician who hasn't been the subject of much study to date. As I suspect is a policy of the series, having reviewed one more volume (Gagatsis 2021), the absence of references makes it impossible for the reader to weigh the information included here. Nevertheless, the writing is accessible, and readers will find the volume informative and enjoyable to read. The volume may be less useful to academics, who I advise to read it nonetheless.