Lester Young - Prez Conferences

by Michael Chung
born Lester Willis Young, 27 August 1909, Woodville, Mississippi - died 15 March 1959, New York City, New York.

Born into a musical family, Lester Young was taught many instruments by his father while growing up. As a child, he played the drums in his father's band. By age 19 however, he quit the group and began playing the tenor saxophone. His first engagements with the new instrument were with Art Bronson of Phoenix, Arizona. After a two year tenure with Bronson along with brief work with various other bands, Young joined the Original Blue Devils under the leadership of Walter Page in 1932. However, Young finally settled down in Kansas City at the end of 1933 and played in bands with the likes of Bennie Moten, George E. Lee, and Count Basie among others. In 1936, he formally teamed up with Basie and would tour, broadcast, and record together for the next four years.

His partnership with Basie did not discourage Lester Young from pursuing other opportunities. Young recorded in small groups directed by Teddy Wilson and appeared in classic record dates with Billie Holiday. In the early 40s, he focused his playing in the Los Angles area by playing in and directing small groups with musicians such as Red Callender, Nat "King" Cole, and Al Sears. During this period of his life, he returned briefly to the Count Basie Band and also worked alongside with Dizzy Gillespie. In 1944, Lester Young was summoned for military service but was quickly discharged having spent part of his duty in the hospital and part in an army prison. After his military stint, Young was filmed by Gjon Mili in the classic jazz short titled Jammin' The Blues co-produced by Norman Granz. In addition, he joined Granz's Jazz At The Philharmonic package, and remained with the organization for many years. Lester also led a variety of small groups for club and record dates as well as toured the USA and Europe. Because of his deteriorating health condition, his musical decline was swift. Although he continued to record and make concert and festival appearances, towards the end of his life, he lost the will to live and eventually died on 15 March 1959.

As one of the most misunderstood figures in Jazz history and a major influence in creating an atmosphere for Bop music to flourish, Lester Young's early and late career was often saddled with criticism. In the early 1930s when Young began to emerge, the tenor saxophone was regarded as a forceful, barrel-toned, and potentially dominating instrument favored by Coleman Hawkins. In the early years of Jazz, none of the saxophone family instruments were played with fervor and maintained a backline position. Hawkins was the first to attempt and change the conception of the instrument. His style of rich and resonant sound was copied by many imitators by not Lester Young. When Young arrived on the scene, he favored a light, dry tone in contrast to Coleman Hawkins. Many musicians and especially audience members disliked Young's unique styles; only perceptive and appreciative listeners could decipher that Lester Young's approach to jazz would be revolutionary and unparallel.
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After Young left the military, his playing style was remarkably different. Many people believed that he lost much of his artistic will at the hands of the military. However, other critics challenged that changes in his playing were not attributable to his military service but rather changes to the man himself. He had matured, moved on, and his music changed as a consequence. A listen back to his very first recordings after leaving the army showed a musician who had not lost his craft but instead played with the style and elegance of a master. A 1956 session with Teddy Wilson and Jo Jones reflected full grasp of his early distinct playing style that made Lester Young unique.

Lester Young made a huge impact in the development of jazz. With the tenor saxophone now regarded as the most dominant instrument in jazz, it became feasible only after the innovative nature and influence of Young. Most of the developments in bop and post-bop own their impact to Lester Young's concern for melody, as well as transformation of complex musical concepts into simple, articulate sounds. Although other important tenor saxophonists have come and gone since his death, few have had the impact that he had in shaping the perception of jazz music in the present and the future.