Search - Lambert Hendricks & Ross :: Sing a Song of Basie

Sing a Song of Basie marked the birth of the jazz vocal group, the arrival of the Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross trio before they had even found their name and identity. First released in 1958, it's still a joyous romp through some Basie hits, with arranger Dave Lambert, lyricist Jon Hendricks, and lead singer Annie Ross defining the new form for posterity. Will Friedwald's new liner notes chronicle the birth pains, including Lambert and Hendricks's initial struggles to do the material with a choir of pop backing singers before hitting on the potential of new overdubbing technology to multiply three voices that could actually sing jazz. The ultimate results created a sensation, and none of the preliminary struggles show in the finished product. The three singers do some extraordinary simulations of horn parts--both ensembles and solos--with Hendricks's casually tongue-twisting, finger-snapping hip lyrics verbalizing the spirit of jazz in a fresh way. Tunes such as "One O'Clock Jump" and "Blues Backstage" swing with the ease of the Basie band itself, propelled by pianist Nat Pierce and the Basie rhythm section of the day, guitarist Freddie Green, bassist Eddie Jones, and drummer Sonny Payne. The CD also includes Lambert and Hendricks's first collaborations from 1955, their version of "Four Brothers" and "Cloudburst" and a previously unreleased version of Hendricks's "Standin' on the Corner." --Stuart Broomer