BILL HENDERSON
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Often referred to by his loyal fans as "The Last Great Jazz Singer" on the planet, vocal jazz legend (and actor) Bill Henderson in his five decade career in show business has been surrounded by a veritable WHO'S WHO of the music world as well as appearing in forty three motion pictures and countless television episodes. To hear Bill sing today is to feel like you have gone to jazz heaven, his vocal interpretation of the great standards is absolutely totally mesmerizing.

A native of Chicago, he began in the early 1950's as lead vocalist for The Count Basie Band with a personal Introduction that was given by Frank Sinatra at The Sand's in Las Vegas who said, "I want you folks to listen," 'cause THIS GUY, he really sings up a storm' !"

Bill Henderson comes from the old school in mainstream jazz where lyric vocal interpretation reigns forever. His vocal style is timeless, eternal and was originally inspired by his peers, the late Joe Williams and Dick Haymes. He brings the greatest standards alive in a way no-one can ever duplicate. He is a classical original, one of vocal jazz music's greatest treasures.

Bill Henderson began his incredible recording career with The Ramsey Lewis Trio, followed by Horace Silver where he recorded the jazz hit, “Senor Blues” and toured Japan with Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, which included Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons, Jaime Merritt and Art Blakey (on drums.) In 1956, he recorded for the Riverside Label with The Hank Jones Quintet and went on to record the great jazz vocal standard, "Joey" with The Oscar Peterson Trio in 1956 which became a classic hit side. He has toured, performed and recorded with some of the greatest legends in jazz including The Ramsey Lewis Trio, Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Bill Cosby, Charlie Haden, Lalo Schiffrin, Cannonball Adderley, Yusef Lateef, Ray Brown, Bobby Timmons, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Philly Jo Jones, Wayne Shorter, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Elvin Jones, Milt Hinton, Pete Christlieb, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Thad Jones, John Coltrane, Gerald Wiggins and many, many more legendary greats. Bill played the legendary Apollo Theatre with Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver and Jimmy Smith and also The Howard Theatre in Washington DC with Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb.

Bill made his debut at The Village Vanguard in New York City as Vocalist with The Three Sounds (Gene Harris, Andy Simkins and Bill Dowdy.) He had his own radio show and made numerous recordings with jazz groups headed by the greats Hank Jones, Horace Silver, Eddie Harris, Jimmy Smith, Wynton Kelly, Eddie Higgins, Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Jones and Thad Jones. 1963, the same year Bill's daughter was born, saw the recording of the classic album "Bill Henderson with Oscar Peterson Trio" featuring Ray Brown and Ed Thigpin.

As lead vocalist, Bill Henderson toured with Count Basie and recorded and performed with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones and many others. Finally in 1967, Bill settled in Los Angeles. At his friend Bill Cosby's suggestion, Bill began acting and doing commercials, voiceover work and theatre work as well as TV and movies, including Principle rolls in the 1980 film "Inside Moves" and "Hoodlums" (with Laurence Fishburn) and the movie "Murphy's Law"; (with Charles Bronson) as well as "City Slickers"; (with Billy Crystal.)

In between acting assignments, Bill recorded "Live at the Times"; for Discovery Records. In 1979, Bill formed a unique trio with pianists Joyce Collins and Dave Mackay which toured the northwest with Bill Cosby and received rave reviews everywhere. The trio recorded TWO Grammy nominated albums for Discovery- "Street of Dreams" (1980) and "Johnny Mercer Tribu"(1982.) In 1986, Bill recorded a public service announcement entitled "Keep the Dream Alive" with guests Carmen McCrae, Sue Raney, Dianne Schurr, and Billy Eckstine. In 1999, Bill recorded "Charlie Haden Quartet West with Chamber Orchestra" (Verve) and "The Art of Song- Charlie Haden with guests Shirley Horn, Bill Henderson, Ernie Watts, Alan Broadbent, and Larance Marable" (Verve/France Records.) In 2000, "Bill Henderson ' Texture"(Naim) (England) and "The Capital Sessions" with Charlie Haden and Mike Melvoin (Naim.) In 2005, "Bill Henderson Live at the Kennedy Center."

Recording discography includes:
SINGLES 1957 - Senor Blues w/Horace Silver Quintet (Bluenote) 1957 - Angel Eyes w/Jimmy Smith Trio (Bluenote) 1959 – Please Send Me Someone to Love w/Eddie Harris (Vee Jay Intl) 1965 – Yesterday w/Count Basie (Basie’s Beatle Bag Album) (Verve) 1968 – Marley Purt Drive/Living With You w/original arrangement by Mike Melvoin (Warner/Reprise) Something/Aint That A Shame/What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life w/Mike Melvoin (Sutton) 1986 – Keep The Dream Alive- for the Jazz To End Hunger Foundation

ALBUM 1958 – Bill Henderson Sings – w/Ramsey Lewis Trio & Wynton Kelly Sextet (Vee Jay) 1961 – Bill Henderson Sings – w/Eddie Higgins Trio, Tommy Flanagan Quartet, Thad Jones Big Band Jimmy Jones Strings 1963 – Bill Henderson Sings With Oscar Peterson and his Trio (MGM) 1965 – When My Dreamboat Comes Home – w/strings arranged by Rene Hall, Jimmy Jones, Bobby Scott (Verve) 1975 – Live At The Times – w/Jimmy Jones, Bobby Scott, Joyce Collins, Dave MacKay (Discovery 1980 – Street Of Dreams – (Discovery) (GRAMMY NOMINATED) 1982 – A Tribute To Johnny Mercer -w/Joyce Collins, Dave MacKay (Discovery)(GRAMMY NOMINATED) 1992 - Soundtrack Album – White Men Cant Jump (20th Century Fox) 1999 – Charlie Haden Quartet West – The Art Of Song (Featuring Shirley Horn, Bill Henderson) (Verve) 2000 – Bill Henderson – Textures (Naim) The Capitol Sessions – w/Charlie Haden, Bill Henderson, Mike Melvoin (Naim)
2005 - Bill Henderson Live at the Kennedy Center (Web Only Jazz)

JAZZ REISSUES ON CD
2002 - Bill Henderson – His Complete Vee Jay Recordings – Volume 2 (Koch International) 2001 - Bill Henderson – His Complete Vee Jay Recordings – Volume 1 (Koch International) 1989 –Bill Henderson with the Oscar Peterson Trio (Verve –Polygram)

CLUB, CONCERT AND TV DATES INCLUDE:
2001/2002 – Songs Written for the Movies – w/ Dena DeRose, Eric Comstock at The Algonguin Room- NYC (The second SRO engagement of this show in two years) *See reviews *
The Jazz Bakery – LA Parisian Room – LA Milestones – San Francisco 2002 –The Plush Room – San Francisco - “Made for The Movies” - w/Dena DeRose, Eric Comstock Catalina Bar & Grill – LA Reign Bar & Grill –Beverly Hills (The Strayhorn Songbook) The Armand Hammer Museum – LA Jazz Workshop – San Francisco Harrah’s Club – Reno, NV Fountain Room – Buffalo, NY The Sands – Las Vegas Yoshi’s Nightclub – Oakland, CA Music Inn - Lenox, MA Nancy Wilson Show – LA Tonight Show (Bill Cosby Host) NBC Lohman & Barkley Show – LA Midnight Special – NBC Sankei Hall – Japan Regal Theatre – Chicago The Riverboat – Empire State Building – NYC Royal York Hotel – Toronto, Ontario – BC The Bird House – Chicago The Sutherland – Chicago Charlie O’s Club – LA (Sold out shows in 2001 and 2002 with the Billy Strayhorn Songbook w/John Heard & Shelly Berg Trio.) Art Ford Jazz Party – NY Merv Griffin Show – NY Art Blakey with Bill Henderson – Tokyo, Japan Nancy Wilson, Red Hot & Cool – Hollywood, NYC

JAZZ FESTIVALS
The Playboy Jazz Festival - Pasadena, CA Keil German Jazz Festival – Germany Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival Kool Jazz Festival – NYC Monterey Jazz Festival – Monterey, CA Newport Mass Jazz Festival – Newport, MA Otter Rock Jazz Fest - OR Brazilian Jazz Festival – Rio De Janeiro Litchfield Jazz Festival – Litchfield, CT

--*see also discography for additional recordings Bill Henderson has been featured on.