My grandfather was born on a cotton plantation in rural Mississippi, and later worked at a cotton gin. In 1936, at the age of 25, he heard Lester Young in the Count Basie Orchestra and immediately fell in love with Prez’s playing. Shortly after hearing Prez, he bought himself a used tenor saxophone, which he taught himself to play. He was so good that he would gig all over the country and made a good living as a jazz musician. After retiring, he taught my father how to play and he would teach me before passing away at the age of 89. My grandfather hero-worshipped Lester Young, and it was because of Prez that he got out of rural Mississippi and made something of himself. Thank you Prez 🙏🏾🎷
What Lester did was and is an eternally great solo of such smooth brilliance that people overlook the near impossibility of its execution, so simple and effective was it. Such phrasing and inversions and swing, all at once, leaves us astounded and indebted.
Tom... Glad you enjoyed.... I started to make these clips in response to the static photo which accompanies so many others I see on U-tube.... Like Lester, who liked to " Tell A Little Story" on his horn, I like to present a slideshow to , hopefully, "Tell A Little Story", BEHIND the music ( the MUSIC being the "star" of the show).... ALL the Credit goes to the MUSICIANS on the recording and the PHOTOGRAPHERS who were there to capture it.... MAYBE.... The UN-Initiated, watching and listening to this , will acquire a bit of a history lesson....
My God, Lester Young literally reinvented the tenor saxophone. Before Prez came along, the way to play the tenor sax was the way that Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster played tenor. But Prez played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated harmonies that influenced every saxophonist that came after him, from Charlie Parker to John Coltrane. Rest In Peace Prez 🙏🏾🎷
Near the end of his life, when he was deteriorating rapidly both mentally and physically, Lester Young played one of his greatest solos ever. Lester may no longer have had the capacity to play some of the jubilant solos of his earlier days, but that did not matter. The song was “Fine and Mellow” and during this recording and filming session for CBS Lester was reunited after several years with female singer Billie Holiday. I do not know if Lester and Billie were ever romantically involved, but there is no doubt in my mind that they loved and respected each other very deeply. Because that’s what their music tells me. Lester was so frail that day that no one was sure if he would be able to play with the band. But oh did he play! Tenor saxophonist Ben Webster played his solo before it was Lester’s turn. Webster was no slouch. After all, the great bandleader and composer Duke Ellington thought highly enough of Webster to ask him in 1935 to join his band. But when Webster solos on “Fine and Mellow” you know what he is playing - a tenor saxophone. His instrument sounds like it’s supposed to, like you’d expect it to sound. Contrast that to Lester’s solo a little later in the tune - it doesn’t sound like a tenor saxophone at all. It doesn’t sound like any instrument that has ever existed. It is pure Lester, pure emotion. It’s as if there are no mechanics, no reed, no instrument there at all, just Lester’s spirit, Lester’s soul. Lester’s lean solo contained only about 50 notes or so, whereas Webster’s probably contained two or three times as many. Amazingly, Lester’s playing seems to have a pronounced effect on the band; the tempo slows a bit, the band plays more softly and it’s as if the members of the band are stepping aside for the moment out of reverence and respect for Lester. Compare Lester’s “Fine and Mellow” solo to ones like his blazers on Taxi War Dance, or Woodside, or Limehouse Blues and one cannot help but be astonished at the range and depth of expression that Young was able to communicate through his horn. Jazz critic Nat Hentoff was in the control room during the recording of “Fine and Mellow” and recalled that Lester’s solo literally brought everyone in the control room to tears: “Lester got up, and he played the purest blues I have ever heard, and [he and Holiday] were looking at each other, their eyes were sort of interlocked, and she was sort of nodding and half-smiling. It was as if they were both remembering what had been-whatever that was. And in the control room we were all crying. When the show was over, they went their separate ways.” The great jazz musicologist, Gunther Shuller wrote, “Billie and Lester - two great tragic figures of jazz - never saw each other again. Little more than a year later, they were both gone; they died within four months of each other. Billie was only 44, Lester, 49.
Good lord, this was his first recording?? The phrasing is immaculate. I know the big band era for its sometimes awkward extra notes at the end of phrases and frequent melodic non-sequiturs that make the genre kind of endearing, but Lester is just on the ball, all the time with his phrasing here. Everywhere I expect awkward notes, I instead get eloquent musical thoughts.
Yes, Pres wasnt just a guy with smooth timber. He was the true father of modern jazz sax, instead Bird. Bird was the guy who took Pres sound one step ahead. If you listen this 30s Pres sessions, all the band sounds "old' while he sounds like a 50s musician on a 30s band, ahead of his time.
@@josiah566 no, from the 1930's (a very modern decade, don't let the sound fool you, it was tribute music to the 1910's ragtime--is what this style of music is, modern ragtime, there was very streamlined I suppose sounding band recordings like pale moon, room with a view and many many others (I love mystery song by Duke 1931, its so haunting). This era was completely laced with complimenting licks, far less tension notes than the following decades, everything usually worked out and ey changes were lovely, or at the very least compliment harmony changes more than key changes.
My grandfather was born on a cotton plantation in rural Mississippi, and later worked at a cotton gin. In 1936, at the age of 25, he heard Lester Young in the Count Basie Orchestra and immediately fell in love with Prez’s playing. Shortly after hearing Prez, he bought himself a used tenor saxophone, which he taught himself to play. He was so good that he would gig all over the country and made a good living as a jazz musician. After retiring, he taught my father how to play and he would teach me before passing away at the age of 89.
My grandfather hero-worshipped Lester Young, and it was because of Prez that he got out of rural Mississippi and made something of himself.
Thank you Prez 🙏🏾🎷
Liberating Lester!
What Lester did was and is an eternally great solo of such smooth brilliance that people overlook the near impossibility of its execution, so simple and effective was it. Such phrasing and inversions and swing, all at once, leaves us astounded and indebted.
Yes! Thanks
Very difficult technically!!!
Even by today's standards!!!!
Indeed
There’s never been a greater saxophonist player than the prez
One of the great sax solos in jazz history
The music is great; but, I am especially grateful for all the fine photos of the great man.
Tom... Glad you enjoyed.... I started to make these clips in response to the static photo which accompanies so many others I see on U-tube.... Like Lester, who liked to " Tell A Little Story" on his horn, I like to present a slideshow to , hopefully, "Tell A Little Story", BEHIND the music ( the MUSIC being the "star" of the show).... ALL the Credit goes to the MUSICIANS on the recording and the PHOTOGRAPHERS who were there to capture it.... MAYBE.... The UN-Initiated, watching and listening to this , will acquire a bit of a history lesson....
My God, Lester Young literally reinvented the tenor saxophone. Before Prez came along, the way to play the tenor sax was the way that Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster played tenor. But Prez played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated harmonies that influenced every saxophonist that came after him, from Charlie Parker to John Coltrane.
Rest In Peace Prez 🙏🏾🎷
Near the end of his life, when he was deteriorating rapidly both mentally and physically, Lester Young played one of his greatest solos ever. Lester may no longer have had the capacity to play some of the jubilant solos of his earlier days, but that did not matter. The song was “Fine and Mellow” and during this recording and filming session for CBS Lester was reunited after several years with female singer Billie Holiday. I do not know if Lester and Billie were ever romantically involved, but there is no doubt in my mind that they loved and respected each other very deeply. Because that’s what their music tells me. Lester was so frail that day that no one was sure if he would be able to play with the band. But oh did he play!
Tenor saxophonist Ben Webster played his solo before it was Lester’s turn. Webster was no slouch. After all, the great bandleader and composer Duke Ellington thought highly enough of Webster to ask him in 1935 to join his band. But when Webster solos on “Fine and Mellow” you know what he is playing - a tenor saxophone. His instrument sounds like it’s supposed to, like you’d expect it to sound. Contrast that to Lester’s solo a little later in the tune - it doesn’t sound like a tenor saxophone at all. It doesn’t sound like any instrument that has ever existed. It is pure Lester, pure emotion. It’s as if there are no mechanics, no reed, no instrument there at all, just Lester’s spirit, Lester’s soul.
Lester’s lean solo contained only about 50 notes or so, whereas Webster’s probably contained two or three times as many. Amazingly, Lester’s playing seems to have a pronounced effect on the band; the tempo slows a bit, the band plays more softly and it’s as if the members of the band are stepping aside for the moment out of reverence and respect for Lester. Compare Lester’s “Fine and Mellow” solo to ones like his blazers on Taxi War Dance, or Woodside, or Limehouse Blues and one cannot help but be astonished at the range and depth of expression that Young was able to communicate through his horn.
Jazz critic Nat Hentoff was in the control room during the recording of “Fine and Mellow” and recalled that Lester’s solo literally brought everyone in the control room to tears:
“Lester got up, and he played the purest blues I have ever heard, and [he and Holiday] were looking at each other, their eyes were sort of interlocked, and she was sort of nodding and half-smiling. It was as if they were both remembering what had been-whatever that was. And in the control room we were all crying. When the show was over, they went their separate ways.”
The great jazz musicologist, Gunther Shuller wrote, “Billie and Lester - two great tragic figures of jazz - never saw each other again. Little more than a year later, they were both gone; they died within four months of each other. Billie was only 44, Lester, 49.
Charlie parker nicked some great licks from this recording ,just listen to parkers rendition of ive found a new baby and Cherokee
Yeah...the "Ornithology" riff is in here, tying in to some chromatic movement
Wonderful Lester Young !
God bless prez. One of my favorite solos ever!
Yes!
This is so so good.. Genius solo by Prez
Thanks for sharing John.A Labour of love to match the visuals with the soloists.Much appreciated
Jammin' jive! Dig it! Upright bass makes all the difference. Much love, ALL!
Sassy Susy Q, shuffle-ball change!
Fantastic.
Good lord, this was his first recording?? The phrasing is immaculate. I know the big band era for its sometimes awkward extra notes at the end of phrases and frequent melodic non-sequiturs that make the genre kind of endearing, but Lester is just on the ball, all the time with his phrasing here. Everywhere I expect awkward notes, I instead get eloquent musical thoughts.
Yes, Pres wasnt just a guy with smooth timber. He was the true father of modern jazz sax, instead Bird. Bird was the guy who took Pres sound one step ahead. If you listen this 30s Pres sessions, all the band sounds "old' while he sounds like a 50s musician on a 30s band, ahead of his time.
@@caiovaz3812 Today I also learnt that Goodbye Pork Pie Hat by Charles Mingus was dedicated to Lester Young...
@@josiah566 no, from the 1930's (a very modern decade, don't let the sound fool you, it was tribute music to the 1910's ragtime--is what this style of music is, modern ragtime, there was very streamlined I suppose sounding band recordings like pale moon, room with a view and many many others (I love mystery song by Duke 1931, its so haunting).
This era was completely laced with complimenting licks, far less tension notes than the following decades, everything usually worked out and ey changes were lovely, or at the very least compliment harmony changes more than key changes.
This comment makes me want to throw up
Presidential.
Unreal. Just unreal.
Damn!
Listen to Bings recording of this to see how brilliant ALL of the playing is. Incredible.
two people have never gotten their shoes shined
Ha! So many "Bird licks!" Guess they weren't bird licks after all!
when this cut was made, bird was still woodshedding.bird was great , but Lester was his idol.
Great! I can even make out the melody. Great!
Nice indeed.
ハヅキルーペよりだーい好きなのは間違いない。
prez was the greatest of all jazz immprovisors
He and Bird
Lester was the Birth of the Cool!
The term ‘cool’ used as it is actually was lester young’s doing
@@MrPartidoaltoAnd they both learned from Pops!
A Talent Tsunami
I am a poor shoeshine boy - maybe a rich man in experience
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@@dylandecker_music 2:26
Anyone know where to get the sheet music for the piano? I know it may be hard to find Since stuff like this isnt normally put into sheet.
If you play this kind of music from a sheet, it's dead music. Just listen and play your own version.
I have an original copy in the hand of Saul Champlin but not sure which instrument he wrote it for
Casually composes ornithology at 1:36
Lester Young invented the expression, 'Cool'. You heard it here first............................
No...... This is common knowledge to anyone who knows Lester... Ya Dig ????
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1:01
Lester sung, never a lecturer of horn mathematics.
Confirmed