The seminal vocal group: Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, and Annie Ross. Their first project was setting words to Count Basie band numbers; they sang everything but the rhyhtm section parts, which were played by the actual Basie rhythm section. Their next recording was with the full Basie band. After that, they wandered on to a variety of things before Annie Ross left in '62. (At which point they became Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan.) Wide three-part harmonies and excellent Jon Hendricks lyrics (mostly), this was the best thing going for decades.

I've had a request for info about a LHR recording of "Shiny Stockings". He says the LHB recording (on Basin Street East) is not the one he is looking for; another correspondent also claims to have heard an LHR recording of the song. If anyone knows about an LHR recording of "Shiny Stockings" or has information on Watermelon Man please e-mail me.

A web search turned up several mentions of an LHR album called Watermelon Man which I'd never seen. I finally tracked down a record company that would sell it to me. It's now covered below, but beware -- this is only nominally an LHR album. It's actually an Annie Ross solo album (Handful of Songs has the exact same track listing) with three LHR tracks (from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing Ellington), one Dave Lambert Singers track (already found on Twisted: The Best Of), and one LHB track (from At Newport '63) tacked on.

Links

• CDNow's LHR page.

Recordings

• Sing A Song of Basie (1958)
  Multitrack recording with the Basie rhythm section. All lyrics Jon Hendricks vocalese except bits of "Everyday," according to the liner notes. Why the credits also list Lambert on several tracks I don't know.
  • "Everyday"
  • "It's Sand, Man!"
  • "Two for the Blues"
  • "One O'Clock Jump" (This doesn't credit Hendricks, but surely is his work.)
  • "Little Pony"
  • "Down for Double"
  • "Fiesta in Blue"
  • "Down for the Count"
  • "Blues Backstage"
  • "Avenue C"
• Sing Along With Basie (1958?)
  (I do not own this. This entry is based on this page.) Joe Williams, LHR and the full Basie band.
  • "Jumpin' At The Woodside"
  • "Going To Chicago Blues"
  • "Tickle Toe"
  • "Let Me See"
  • "Every Tub"
  • "Shorty George"
  • "Rusty Dusty Blues"
  • "The King"
  • "Swingin' The Blues"
  • "L'il Darlin'"
• The Swingers (1959)
  I'm not sure what's vocalese and what's straight lyrics...
  • "Airegin" Hendricks lyrics on the head, the rest scat and instrumental solos.
  • "Jackie" Annie Ross vocalese.
  • "Swingin' 'til the Girls Come Home" Hendricks vocalese.
  • "Four" Hendricks vocalese.
  • "Little Niles" Hendricks vocalese.
  • "Where" Hendricks lyrics.
  • "Now's the Time" Hendricks vocalese.
• The Hottest New Group In Jazz
  • "Charleston Alley" Hendricks.
  • "Moanin'" Hendricks.
  • "Twisted" Annie Ross vocalese.
  • "Bijou" Hendricks vocalese.
  • "Cloudburst" Hendricks vocalese.
  • "Centerpiece" Hendricks.
  • "Gimme that Wine" Hendricks original.
  • "Sermonette" Gershwins/Heyward. (Is this a Porgy and Bess outtake?)
  • "Summertime" The original lyrics have been reshaped to fit the melody and accompaniment of the Davis/Evans recording.
  • "Everybody's Boppin'" Hendricks original.
• Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing Ellington
  All lyrics Hendricks vocalese except where noted.
  • "Cottontail"
  • "All Too Soon" ?
  • "Happy Anatomy"
  • "Rocks In My Bed"
  • "Main Stem"
  • "I Don't Know What Kind Of Blues I've Got"
  • "Things Ain't What They Used To Be" ?
  • "Midnight Indigo"
  • "What Am I Here For?"
  • "In A Mellow Tone" I believe big chunks of the lyrics are the original lyrics to this song, while the backing lines are done vocalese style, presumably with Hendricks lyrics.
  • "Caravan" The melody is definitely the original lyrics, and the backing lyrics are almost certainly Hendricks's.
• High Flying with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
  • "Come On Home" Hendricks.
  • "The New ABC" Lambert original.
  • "Farmer's Market" Ross.
  • "Cookin' At The Continental" Hendricks.
  • "With Malice Toward None" Hendricks original.
  • "Hi-Fly" ?
  • "Home Cookin'" Hendricks
  • "Halloween Spooks" Lambert original.
  • "Popity Pop" ?
  • "Blue" ?
  • "Mr P.C." Hendricks
• bonus tracks on Colbumia High Flying with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross CD
  • "Walkin'" Hendricks? Mentioned in booklet, not in credits.
  • "This Here (Dis Hyunh)" Hendricks.
  • "Swingin' Till The Girls Come Home" Very different from the Swingers cut, not much in the way of lyrics. Hendricks has a long section imitating famous bass players.
  • "Twist City" ?
  • "Just A Little Bit Of Twist" ?
  • "A Night In Tunsia" Original lyrics only, Ross vocals.
  • "A Night In Tunsia" Original lyrics only, Hendricks vocals.
• Dave Brubeck: The Real Ambassadors (1962)
  LHR are the chorus on this odd little Dave/Iola Brubeck musical for Louis Armstrong. I'm only listing the tracks that I know are written to pre-existing tunes. You could debate whether these are vocalese or just setting lyrics to Brubeck tunes. All are by Iola Brubeck.
  • "Everybody's Comin'" Based on the Brubeck Quartet's "Everybody's Jumpin'" from Time Out.
  • "You Swing Baby" (CD bonus track.) Based on "The Duke"
• Twisted: The Best Of (Sony/Rhino)
  • "Twisted" (from The Hottest New Group In Jazz)
  • "Down For Double" (from Sing A Song of Basie)
  • "Moanin'" (from The Hottest New Group In Jazz)
  • "Cottontail" (from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing Ellington)
  • "Sermonette" (from The Hottest New Group In Jazz)
  • "Going to Chicago Blues" (from Sing Along With Basie)
  • "Cloudburst" (from The Hottest New Group In Jazz)
  • "In A Mellow Tone" (from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing Ellington)
  • "Centerpiece" (from The Hottest New Group In Jazz)
  • "Main Stem" (from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing Ellington)
  • "Little Niles" (from The Swingers)
  • "Hi-Fly" (from High Flying with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross)
  • "Little Pony" (from Sing A Song of Basie)
  • "Doodlin'" (single release, Hendricks vocalese)
  • "Farmer's Market" (from High Flying with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross)
  • "Caravan" (from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing Ellington)
  • "Everyday" (from Sing A Song of Basie)
  • "Things Ain't What They Used To Be" (from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing Ellington)
• Watermelon Man (Jazz Door) The Annie Ross solo tracks appear to be the complete album Annie Ross: Handful of Songs.
  • "I Don't Know What Kind Of Blues I've Got" (from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing Ellington)
  • "Midnight Indigo" (from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing Ellington)
  • "Caravan" (from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing Ellington)
  • "Everyday" This song is on Sing A Song of Basie, but the liner notes claim this version by the Dave Lambert singers. Sound quality is very bad.
  • "A Handful Of Songs" -- Annie Ross solo
  • "All Of You" -- Annie Ross solo
  • "Fly Me To The Moon" -- Annie Ross solo
  • "Nature Boy" -- Annie Ross solo
  • "What's New" -- Annie Ross solo
  • "Love For Sale" -- Annie Ross solo
  • "A Lot Of Livin' To Do" -- Annie Ross solo
  • "Let Me Love You" -- Annie Ross solo
  • "All The Things You Are" -- Annie Ross solo
  • "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'" -- Annie Ross solo
  • "Like Someone In Love" -- Annie Ross solo
  • "Limehouse Blues" -- Annie Ross solo
  • "Watermelon Man" -- LHB (from At Newport '63)