The seminal vocal group: Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, and Annie Ross. Their first project was setting words to Count Basie band numbers; they sang everything but the rhyhtm section parts, which were played by the actual Basie rhythm section. Their next recording was with the full Basie band. After that, they wandered on to a variety of things before Annie Ross left in '62. (At which point they became Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan.) Wide three-part harmonies and excellent Jon Hendricks lyrics (mostly), this was the best thing going for decades.

I've had a request for info about a LHR recording of "Shiny Stockings". He says the LHB recording (on Basin Street East) is not the one he is looking for; another correspondent also claims to have heard an LHR recording of the song. If anyone knows about an LHR recording of "Shiny Stockings" or has information on Watermelon Man please e-mail me.

A web search turned up several mentions of an LHR album called Watermelon Man which I'd never seen. I finally tracked down a record company that would sell it to me. It's now covered below, but beware -- this is only nominally an LHR album. It's actually an Annie Ross solo album (Handful of Songs has the exact same track listing) with three LHR tracks (from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Sing Ellington), one Dave Lambert Singers track (already found on Twisted: The Best Of), and one LHB track (from At Newport '63) tacked on.