Al Hendrickson

Alton Reynolds Hendrickson (May 10, 1920 – July 19, 2007) was an American jazz guitarist and occasional vocalist

Biography[]

When he was five years old, Hendrickson's family moved to California, where he grew up. He played early in his career with the Gramercy Five, Ray Linn, Artie Shaw, and Freddie Slack, then worked with Benny Goodman in both smaller and larger ensemble settings. He played with Woody Herman on several occasions in the late 1940s through the end of the 1950s, and also played with Neal Hefti, Bill Holman, Barney Kessel, Johnny Mandel, Billy May, Ray Noble, Andre Previn, Louis Prima, Boyd Raeburn, Shorty Rogers, and Bud Shank. In 1962, he appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival alongside Louie Bellson and Dizzy Gillespie.

He also worked as an accompanist and session musician for many popular vocalists, such as Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Lee Hazlewood, Eartha Kitt, Frankie Laine, Ann-Margret, Dean Martin, Ella Mae Morse, Harry Nilsson, and Elvis Presley (Viva Las Vegas). He also worked with arrangers like Quincy Jones, Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle, and Lalo Schifrin, and did sessions for television and film.

Hendrickson died of a heart attack at his home in North Bend, Oregon, at the age of 87.^[1]

Discography[]

As sideman[]

With Ray Conniff

• Friendly Persuasion (Columbia, 1964)
• Speak to Me of Love (CBS, 1964)
• You Make Me Feel So Young (Columbia, 1964)

With Earl Grant

• The End (Decca, 1958)
• Beyond the Reef and Other Instrumental Favorites (Decca, 1962)
• Winter Wonderland (Decca, 1972)

With others

• Laurindo Almeida, Guitar from Ipanema (Capitol, 1964)
• Georgie Auld, In the Land of Hi-Fi (EmArcy/Mercury, 1956)
• Jesse Belvin, Mr. Easy (RCA, 1960)
• Johnny Best, Dixieland Left and Right (Mercury, 1961)
• Harry Betts, The Jazz Soul of Doctor Kildare (Choreo, 1962)
• Pete Candoli, Blues When Your Lover Has Gone (Somerset/Stereo-Fidelity, 1961)
• Frank Capp & Nat Pierce, Juggernaut (Concord Jazz, 1977)
• Benny Carter, Session at Midnight (EMI, 1972)
• Herman Clebanoff, Exciting Sounds (Mercury, 1961)
• Herman Clebanoff, Lush, Latin & Bossa Nova Too! (Mercury, 1963)
• Peggy Connelly, Peggy Connelly (Bethlehem, 1956)
• Scatman Crothers, Rock 'N' Roll with Scat Man (Tops, 1956)
• Maxwell Davis, Compositions of Duke Ellington and Others (Crown, 1960)
• Percy Faith, Black Magic Woman (Columbia, 1971)
• Percy Faith, Bouquet of Love (Columbia, 1962)
• Frances Faye, I'm Wild Again (Bethlehem, 1955)
• Frances Faye, Swinging All the Way with Frances Faye (Verve, 1962)
• Victor Feldman, The Venezuela Joropo (Pacific Jazz, 1967)
• Ted Gardestad, Blue Virgin Isles (Polar, 1978)
• Dizzy Gillespie, The New Continent (Limelight, 1965)
• Conrad Gozzo, Goz the Great! (RCA Victor, 1955)
• Richard Greene, Ramblin (Rounder, 1979)
• Guitars Unlimited, Quiet Nights and Brazilian Guitars (Capitol, 1966)
• Guitars Unlimited, Tender Is the Night (Capitol, 1969)
• Al Hirt, Horn a-Plenty (RCA Victor, 1962)
• Al Hirt & Ann-Margret, Beauty and the Beard (RCA Victor, 1964)
• Diana Hubbard, LifeTimes (Waterhouse, 1979)
• Gordon Jenkins, France 70 (Time, 1962)
• Gordon Jenkins, Paris I Wish You Love (Time, 1964)
• Barney Kessel, To Swing or Not to Swing (Contemporary, 1955)
• Barney Kessel, Contemporary Latin Rhythms (Reprise, 1963)
• Eartha Kitt, St Louis Blues (RCA Victor, 1958)
• Peggy Lee, I'm a Woman (Capitol, 1963)
• Peggy Lee, Mink Jazz (Capitol, 1963)
• Skip Martin, Scheherajazz (Pye/Golden Guinea, 1959)
• Skip Martin, Perspectives in Percussion (Somerset/Stereo-Fidelity, 1961)
• Matty Matlock, Dixieland (Mayfair, 1957)
• Billy May, Billy May's Big Fat Brass (Capitol, 1958)
• Billy May, Sorta-May (Creative World, 1971)
• Lincoln Mayorga, Lincoln Mayorga & Distinguished Colleagues (Sheffield Lab, 1971)
• Eddie Miller, Frat Hop (Tops, 1957)
• Ruth Olay, Soul in the Night (ABC, 1966)
• Dave Pell, Dave Pell's Prez Conference (GNP Crescendo, 1978)
• Dave Pell, In Celebration of Lester Young (GNP Crescendo, 1979)
• Andre Previn, Andre Previn Plays Gershwin (RCA Victor, 1955)
• Andre Previn, Let's Get Away from It All (Decca, 1955)
• Googie Rene, Romesville! (Class, 1959)
• Howard Roberts, Guilty!! (Capitol, 1967)
• Shorty Rogers & Andre Previn, Collaboration (RCA Victor, 1955)
• Lalo Schifrin, Che! (Tetragrammaton, 1969)
• Paul Smith, Latin Keyboard & Percussion (Verve, 1960)
• Joanie Sommers & Laurindo Almeida, Softly, the Brazilian Sound (Warner Bros., 1964)
• Jack Teagarden, Swing Low Sweet Spiritual (Capitol, 1957)
• Mel Torme, I Dig the Duke I Dig the Count (Verve, 1962)
• Si Zentner, Rhythm Plus Blues (Liberty, 1963)

Bibliography[]

• Hendrickson, Al; Almeida, Laurindo; Heitmeyer, Howard; Pitman, Bill; Kessel, Barney; Bain, Bob; Marshall, Jack; Roberts, Howard (1961). West Coast Guitar: Eight Original Solos for Guitar. New York: Leeds Music Corporation. ASIN B0080YPG16.
• Hendrickson, Al; Orzeck, Art (1974). Encyclopedia of Bass Chords, Arpeggios & Scales. Mel Bay Publications. ISBN 978-0871668233.
• Hendrickson, Al; Orzeck, Art (2010). Guitar Duets on Great Classic Themes. Mel Bay Publications. ISBN 978-0786631896.

References[]

Further reading[]

Mongan, Norman. "Al Hendrickson". In Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2nd ed.).

External links[]

• Al Hendrickson at AllMusic
• Al Hendrickson discography at Discogs
• Al Hendrickson at IMDb
• Al Hendrickson recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.