Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
| Company type | Vocal jazz trio |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Founder | Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross |
| Defunct | 1964 |
Key people | Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross, Yolande Bavan |
| Products | Vocal jazz music, albums |
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross was a prominent American vocalese trio consisting of jazz vocalists Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, and Annie Ross. Between 1962 and 1964, vocalist Yolande Bavan substituted for Ross.
History
The ensemble was established in 1957 and released their first album, Sing a Song of Basie (1958), under ABC-Paramount Records, which showcased interpretations of Count Basie's classics. The album's acclaim led to a partnership with the Count Basie Orchestra on the follow-up Sing Along with Basie (1959). In 1998, Sing a Song of Basie was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
Beginning in 1959, the group produced three albums through Columbia Records, including a rendition of Ross's 1952 composition "Twisted," which combined her lyrics with a tune by Wardell Gray. Their record High Flying earned the Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group in 1962. From 1959 through 1963, the trio was recognized as Best Vocal Group in the DownBeat Readers Poll.
Before her marriage to Jackie Paris in 1961, Canadian jazz vocalist Anne Marie Moss occasionally filled in for Ross during performances, with the group billed as Lambert, Hendricks and Moss.
Ross departed from the trio in 1962 due to personal matters and was succeeded by Yolande Bavan, leading to the rebranding as Lambert, Hendricks and Bavan. Their appearance at the 1962 Newport Jazz Festival is documented in Buddy Bregman's film The 1962 Newport Jazz Festival. The Lambert, Hendricks and Bavan lineup recorded three live albums prior to their dissolution in 1964.
A reunion involving the original trio was planned but was halted following Lambert’s fatal car accident in Connecticut on October 3, 1966.
The 2012 documentary No One But Me, centered on Annie Ross, featured contributions from Hendricks and included footage from their reunion performance. Jon Hendricks passed away on November 22, 2017; Annie Ross died on July 21, 2020.
Discography
- Sing a Song of Basie (ABC-Paramount, 1957)
- Sing Along with Basie (Roulette, 1958)
- The Swingers! (Pacific Jazz, 1958)
- The Hottest New Group in Jazz (Columbia, 1959)
- Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing Ellington (Columbia, 1961)
- High Flying with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross (Columbia, 1961)
- Recorded "Live" at Basin Street East (Lambert, Hendricks and Bavan) (RCA Victor, 1963)
- At Newport '63 (Lambert, Hendricks and Bavan) (RCA Victor, 1963)
- Havin' a Ball at the Village Gate (Lambert, Hendricks and Bavan) (RCA Victor, 1964)
- Swingin' Til the Girls Come Home (Lambert, Hendricks and Bavan) (RCA Bluebird, 1964)