John Carl Hendricks was born September 16, 1921 in Newark, Ohio. He was part of every jazz era thus far in history.

All that jazz.

The ‘Father of Vocalese’ and ‘Poet Laureate of Jazz’ and ‘James Joyce of Jive’, Mr. Hendricks had made Toledo his permanent residence through most of his life — though Manhattan was his parlor, and was here he passed after 96 years of changing the way the world heard music. 

“It’s Almost Like Being In Love”

What a day this has been!
What a rare mood I'm in!
Why, it's almost like being in love

There's a smile on my face
For the whole human race
Why it's almost like being in love

All the music of life seems to be
Like a bell that is ringing for me
And from the way that I feel
When the bell starts to peal
I would swear I was falling
I could swear I was falling
It's almost like being in love

First Published November 24, 2017, 5:04 a.m.