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Lester Young

Lester "Prez" Young was one of the giants of the tenor saxophone. He was the greatest improviser between Coleman Hawkins and Louis Armstrong of the 1920s and Charlie Parker in the 1940s. From the beginning, he set out to be different: He had his own lingo; In the Forties, he grew his hair out. The other tenor players held their saxophones upright in front of them, so Young held his out to the side, kind of like a flute (see picture above). Then, there was the way he played: Hawkins played around harmonic runs. He played flurries of notes and had a HUGE tone that the other tenor players of the day emulated. Young used a softer tone that resulted In a soft, light sound (if you didn't know better, you would think the two were playing different instruments). Young used less notes and slurred notes together, creating more melodic solos. He played the ordinary in an extraordinary way, using a lot of subtleties to produce music that Billie Holiday said flips you out of your seat with surprise.

Young moved to Kansas City in the 1930s, the hotbed of jazz during that time, and played in various groups, including King Oliver, Benny Moten, and the traveling Fletcher Henderson orchestra. One of the great jazz myths says that Hawkins, who was the star player of Henderson's orchestra missed a show. Young filled in for him and played so wonderfully, that Hawkins went looking for Young, with sax in hand, to teach the young whippersnapper a lesson. They dueled all night and into the next morning. Hawkins left for Europe and Young took over in Henderson's orchestra. However, the ending wasn't happy — Young was hired to play like Hawkins, and that wasn't Young's thing—he could replace Hawkins, but he wasn't going to impersonate him—so he moved back to Kansas City and in 1936, he joined the Count Basie Orchestra and stayed there until 1949. While he recorded some his finest material with Basie, he didn't record all of his finest recordings with Count. He recorded a fine series of records with Billie Holiday. Within 4 years, he had played in top-rated big band AND small group settings! Some sources say that he gave her the nickname "Lady Day" and she gave him the nickname "Prez" (others say he became the new Prez-ident when he defeated Hawkins).

In 1944, Young was drafted in the Army.

Going from bohemian to rigid institutional life didn't set well with Young and when he was caught smoking marijuana, he was court- martialed and spent months in detention. He came back a fine player, but his light, airy, happy tone had left and his music had a darker side to it. He joined Norman Granz' Jazz at the Philharmonic tour, but he let his health decline, and drank far more often and was hospitalized. He had an unsuccessful engagement in Paris in 1959, and returned to the States a sick man and died a year later, at the age of 49. His life (and Bud Powell's) was the basis for Bernard Tavernier's film Round Midnight, and the character based on him was played by Dexter Gordon.

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Lester Young (1909-1959) was an influential jazz saxophonist and composer, known for his distinctive sound, fluid style, and innovative approach to improvisation. He was a member of the Count Basie Orchestra and later led his own groups, including the Kansas City Six and Seven.

Young was born in Woodville, Mississippi, and grew up in a musical family. His father, Willis Handy Young, was a respected musician and band leader who played multiple instruments. Young started playing the saxophone at a young age and developed a love for jazz music.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Young began playing professionally in the vibrant jazz scene of Kansas City. He quickly became known for his unique style, which emphasized melodic improvisation and a relaxed, cool sound. He played with many of the top musicians of the day, including Count Basie, Benny Goodman, and Billie Holiday.

Young's contributions to jazz were many. He was one of the first musicians to incorporate the use of the tenor saxophone in jazz music, which became a staple of the genre. He also pioneered the use of a light, airy tone on the saxophone, which contrasted with the more heavy and intense sounds of other saxophonists.

Young's playing had a significant influence on other jazz musicians, particularly those of the bebop and cool jazz movements. He was known for his use of advanced harmonies and chord changes, as well as his ability to create melodic lines that flowed seamlessly between different keys and modes.

Despite his contributions to jazz, Young faced many personal and professional challenges throughout his life. He struggled with depression and substance abuse, and faced racism and discrimination in the music industry. He died in 1959 at the age of 49, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most innovative and influential saxophonists in jazz history.

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by Russell Perry
March 17, 2019

While the jazz of the thirties was predominantly remembered as coming from orchestras and big bands, seminal soloists continued to record memorable music in small group settings, setting the stage for disruptive industry transitions to come in the 1940s. Small groups led by Chu Berry, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Hodges and Lester Young in this hour of Jazz at 100. Playlist Host Intro 0:00 Chu Berry And His Stompy Stevedores. “Limehouse Blues" from Chu Berry: 1937-- 1941 (Classics) 2:30 ...

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by Chris Mosey
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In October 1944, Lester Young, one of the most influential saxophonists in jazz, was inducted into the US army. In the 15 months that followed he was subjected to blatant racial prejudice then court martialed for possession of marijuana and alcohol and sentenced to a year in a detention barracks. He returned to civilian life severely traumatized. As a result, the received wisdom is it's not worth listening to recordings made by Young after his discharge. This ...

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Lester Young: Centennial Celebration Lester Young

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by Andrew Velez
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Although he'd lived a scant 50 hard years when he died in 1959, tenor sax giant Lester Willis Young was and remains one of the most vital and influential forces in jazz. He used words as singularly as he played, dubbing Billie Holiday “Lady Day"; theirs was an incomparable musical pairing and she returned the favor, calling him “Prez" for president. Prez proved to be the key link between the early jazz of Louis Armstrong and Coleman Hawkins with the ...

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Profile

Lester Leaps In... To His 100th Birthday

by David Amram
August 31, 2009

For Lester Young on his 100th birthdayI just went to a birthday celebration I will never forget. Maybe some in America have forgotten Lester Young, known as Prez (i.e., the president of the tenor saxophone), but people all over the world are still moved every time they hear the classic recordings of this giant. Prez was someone who helped change the face of jazz, and inspire people who listened to cherish the moments in their lives ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Lester Young

Source: Michael Ricci
August 27, 2023

All About Jazz is celebrating Lester Young's birthday today!

Lester “Prez" Young was one of the giants of the tenor saxophone. He was the greatest improviser between Coleman Hawkins and Louis Armstrong of the 1920s and Charlie Parker in the 1940s. From the beginning, he set out to be different: He had his own lingo; In the Forties, he grew his hair out. The other tenor players held their saxophones upright in front of them, so Young held his out ...
read more

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Lester Young

Source: Michael Ricci
August 27, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Lester Young's birthday today!

Video / DVD

Prez Day in the USA

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
February 22, 2022

Today in the U.S., it's Presidents' Day, a federal holiday. First established in 1885 to pay tribute to America's first president, George Washington, the holiday became more inclusive in 1971, when the day celebrate all presidents. The shift was a result of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established more three-day weekends for workers. Here at JazzWax, it's a tradition to celebrated each Presidents' Day by showcasing Lester Young, whom Billie Holiday affectionately called “Prez" or “Pres"—short for president of ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Lester Young

Source: Michael Ricci
August 27, 2021

All About Jazz is celebrating Lester Young's birthday today!

Video / DVD

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Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
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Lester Young was born on August 27, 1909 and died March 15, 1959. Known as Prez or Pres (short for President, a nickname Billie Holiday gave him), the tenor saxophonist was famous for his cool and airy relaxed style that modernized the tenor saxophone. Instead of improvising with an aggressive, vertical chopping approach, his sound was more horizontal, like a flat rock being skimmed along the top of a still lake. As a result, his notes lingered and seemed to ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Lester Young

Source: Michael Ricci
August 27, 2020

All About Jazz is celebrating Lester Young's birthday today!

Video / DVD

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Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
February 18, 2020

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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Lester Young

Source: Michael Ricci
August 27, 2019

All About Jazz is celebrating Lester Young's birthday today!

Video / DVD

Prez Day: Lester Young Clips

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
February 18, 2019

Here in the U.S. today, the country is celebrating President's Day, a national holiday set up in the 1880s to cover both George Washington (22nd) and Abraham Lincoln's (12th) February birthdays. At JazzWax, we celebrate Lester Young, whom Billie Holiday nicknamed the President or Prez of the tenor saxophone. Whether or not you're familiar with Prez and his music, below are eight of my favorite clips that splendidly illustrate his art over time. In short, Prrez revolutionized the sound of ...
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