Dave Lambert

Lambert earned his greatest renown as the “Lambert” half of the groundbreaking vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, assembled in 1957, yet he already possessed years of professional experience by then. He had started out as a drummer, then spent one year as a vocalist with Johnny Long’s big band. Between 1944 and 1945 he performed with Gene Krupa’s Orchestra; during that period his duet with Buddy Stewart on “What’s This” was recognized as the first vocal treatment of a bop melody. In the closing years of the 1940s and the opening years of the 1950s he occasionally directed his own vocal ensemble. In 1949 he joined Charlie Parker for a Royal Roost radio broadcast, and in 1953 his singers supplied the backgrounds for Parker’s recordings of “Old Folks” and “In the Still of the Night,” two unusually eccentric interpretations. That same year Lambert cut several sides for Capitol with his vocal group. In 1955 he collaborated for the first time with Jon Hendricks, together with two additional singers, on a little-known treatment of “Four Brothers.” Once Lambert, Hendricks & Ross achieved popularity in 1957, the group absorbed nearly all of his professional energies, although he did issue a solo album on United Artists in 1959. He remained with the unit after Annie Ross departed and Yolande Bavan joined, at which point it became Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan, continuing until the ensemble disbanded in 1964. His final recording was a scat-laden reading of “Donna Lee” captured at a 1965 concert honoring Charlie Parker. Lambert’s life ended in 1966 when he was struck by a vehicle while replacing a flat tire.