Jazz saxophonist Lester Young was born on August 27, 1909, in Woodville, Mississippi. Nicknamed "Prez," Young was one of the most important tenor sax players in the history of jazz, and Len Lyons ranks him as "the most innovative instrumentalist in jazz between Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker."
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends The Lester Young Story, Vol. 1 (Columbia JG 33502, 2 LPs). Unfortunately, this album is only available on vinyl from Amazon.com. A good alternative on CD is The Lester Young Story, which is re-issued on the Jazz Archives label. (Purchase the CD, The Lester Young Story, at Amazon.com.)
As jazz critic Scott Yanow points out, Young "came up with a completely different conception in which to play his horn, floating over bar lines with a light tone rather than adopting Coleman Hawkins' then-dominant forceful approach." That style can be heard on his solo on "Oh, Lady, Be Good," recorded in 1936 with Count Basie, here:
Miles Davis: St. Louis Jazz Notes has several links to stories about Miles Davis, including news of Don Cheadle's new biopic, "Miles Ahead."
Miles Davis: New Jazz United shares a clip of the Miles Davis Sextet performing "Flamenco Sketches." (The song is available on the album, The Complete Columbia Recordings, 1955 - 1961, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
Miles Davis: Miles Davis at Newport, 1955-1975. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Bill Evans: The Complete Fantasy Recordings. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
John McLaughlin: At Take the "A" Train, Ehsan Khoshbakht shares a video of the John McLaughlin Trio performing in Hamburg, Germany in 1990.
Thelonious Monk: New Jazz United shares a clip of the Thelonious Monk Quintet playing "Brilliant Corners." (The song is available on the album, Brilliant Corners, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
Oscar Peterson: At JazzWax, Marc Myers shares a clip of Oscar Peterson on British television in October 1964.
Cannonball Adderley: New Jazz United shares a video of the Cannonball Adderley Quintet playing "Jubilation." (The song is available on the album, Sharpshooters, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
Miles Davis: According to The Carlsbad Current-Argus, Don Cheadle's Miles Davis biopic, "Miles Ahead," will make its world premiere in October at the New York Film Festival.
Miles Davis: Tim Niland reviews the album, Miles Davis - At Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol. 4, at Music and More. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Miles Davis: Open Culture discusses Miles Davis's 2005 recording of Michael Jackson's "Human Nature." (The song is available on the album, You're Under Arrest, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
Duke Ellington: David Brent Johnson talks about Duke Ellington's "early Black-pride music" at Night Lights.
Duke Ellington: According to The Plymouth University Website, Lecturer in Music Dr. Katherine Williams has been awarded the first ever Jazz Research Fellowship by the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation and the Jazz Education Network to examine the differences between the live performances of Duke Ellington and his recorded work.
Erroll Garner: At JazzWax, Marc Myers talks about the Erroll Garner Quartet's tour of Paris in 1972 and shares a video of their appearance on the French television show, "Jazz Land."
Scott Joplin: According to KSLA News, Texarkana, the city has begun the restoration of a mural of Texarkana native Scott Joplin.
Charles Mingus: At All About Jazz, John Goodman provides an excerpt from his book, "Mingus Speak," where Mingus talks about avant-garde musicians and the importance of tradition in jazz. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)
Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock: At JazzTimes, Bill Beuttler reviews the April concert by Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock at Boston's Symphony Hall.
Duke Ellington: According to JazzTimes, Grönland Records will release Duke Ellington & His Orchestra’s previously unissued The Conny Plank Session in July.
Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins: At JazzWax, Marc Myers shares videos of the late Paul Jeffrey talking about Sonny Rollins and Dizzy Gillespie.
Jazz saxophonist Lester Young died on March 15, 1959, in New York City at the age of 49. He had just returned to New York from a European tour, during which he ate almost nothing and literally drank himself to death. He is buried at the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn.
Young was one of the most important tenor sax players in the history of jazz, and Len Lyons ranks him as "the most innovative instrumentalist in jazz between Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker."
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends The Lester Young Story, Vol. 1 (Columbia JG 33502, 2 LPs). Unfortunately, this album is only available on vinyl through Amazon.com.
A good alternative on CD is the British import, The Lester Young Story, which is re-issued on the Proper label and contains four CDs. (Purchase the CD, The Lester Young Story, at Amazon.com.)
Young plays "Mean to Me" from a September 1958 broadcast here:
Eubie Blake: On his birthday, February 7, Eubie Blake was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.
Chick Corea: As reported in JazzTimes, the Grammy Awards for jazz were announced on February 8. Winners included Chick Corea for Best Improvised Jazz Solo, "Fingerprints," and Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Trilogy. (The song is available on the album, Trilogy, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
Chick Corea: Curt's Jazz Cafe previews the 2015 Grammy nominees for Best Improvised Jazz Solo, including Chick Corea's "Fingerprints." Curt's Jazz Cafe also previews the 2015 Grammy nominees for Best Instrumental Jazz Album, including Chick Corea's Trilogy.
Bill Evans: At JazzWax, Marc Myers shares a 1976 radio interview with Bill Evans.
Duke Ellington: At Air & Space, Richard Jurek writes about Duke Ellington’s 10-minute vocal ode to the first moon landing and provides a video of Ellington's performance.
Bill Evans: Marc Myers shares the first draft of Bill Evans's liner notes for the Miles Davis album, Kind of Blue, at JazzWax.
Billie Holiday: According to All About Jazz, Legacy Recordings will celebrate Billie Holiday's 100th birthday by releasing The Centennial Collection, 20 Essential Lady Day Recordings, on March 31, 2015. JazzTimes shares the track list from the album.
Carmen McRae: At JazzWax, Marc Myers discusses Carmen McRae's 1957 album, Carmen for Cool Ones. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Wayne Shorter: At Nextbop, Sebastien Helary provides a full concert video of Wayne Shorter's performance at the 2014 Stockholm Jazz Festival. (Note that the video expires on February 18, 2015.)
Dave Brubeck: On December 6, his birthday, Dave Brubeck was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.
John Coltrane: According to JazzTimes, a documentary of John Coltrane, written and directed by filmmaker John Scheinfeld, is being targeted for release in late 2015 or early 2016.
John Coltrane: The Free Jazz Collective list of the most innovative listening experiences of the year includes John Coltrane's album, Offering: Live at Temple University. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Miles Davis: At Music and More, Tim Niland reviews the Miles Davis album, Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 . (Purchase the album from Amazon.com in vinyl or MP3.)
Miles Davis: At Music and More, Tim Niland shares a video of Miles Davis playing at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.
Miles Davis, Miles at the Fillmore–Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 3. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Thelonious Monk, The Complete 1966 Geneva Concert. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Bud Powell, Bud Powell: Birdland 1953. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Herbie Hancock: At The Ottawa Citizen, Peter Hum shares a link to an iTunes compilation of over 20 Herbie Hancock recordings and discusses Hancock's memoir, Possibilities. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)
Bud Powell: Marc Myers shares three videos of Bud Powell at JazzWax.
Lester Young: Jazz Lives reviews Dave Gelly's book, Being Prez: The Life & Music of Lester Young and calls it "one of the best books on a jazz artist I have ever read." (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)
Clifford Brown: At All About Jazz, Nick Catalano shares a recording of Clifford Brown being interviewed by Willis Conover for Voice of America radio in 1956, shortly before Brown's untimely death.
John Coltrane: At All About Jazz, Robert Bush reviews the John Coltrane album, Offering: Live At Temple University. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Charlie Parker: At JazzWax, Marc Myers discusses Charlie Parker's work with string orchestras.
Charlie Parker: At Take the "A" Train, Ehsan Khoshbakht discusses Charlie Parker's appearance at the Royal Roost, a New York jazz club, in 1949.
Wayne Shorter: At Today is the Question, Ted Panken shares an interview with Wayne Shorter on the musician's favorite Blue Note recordings and other topics.
Lester Young: On August 27, his birthday, Lester Young was the Jazz Musician of the Day at All About Jazz.
Lester Young: At New England Public Radio, Tom Reney shares a video of Lester Young playing with Lee Young's Esquires of Rhythm in Hollywood in May 1941.
Jazz saxophonist Lester Young was born on August 27, 1909, in Woodville, Mississippi. Nicknamed "Prez," Young was one of the most important tenor sax players in the history of jazz, and Len Lyons ranks him as "the most innovative instrumentalist in jazz between Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker."
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends The Lester Young Story, Vol. 1 (Columbia JG 33502, 2 LPs). Unfortunately, this album is only available on vinyl. A good alternative on CD is The Lester Young Story, which is re-issued on the Jazz Archives label. (Purchase the CD, The Lester Young Story, at Amazon.com.)
As jazz critic Scott Yanow points out, Young "came up with a completely different conception in which to play his horn, floating over bar lines with a light tone rather than adopting Coleman Hawkins' then-dominant forceful approach." That style can be heard on his solo on "Oh, Lady, Be Good," recorded in 1936 with Count Basie, here:
Louis Armstrong: At All About Jazz, C. Michael Bailey reviews Terry Teachout's book, Pops: The Wonderful World Of Louis Armstrong. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)
John Coltrane: At NPR's A Blog Supreme, Patrick Jarenwattananon discusses Chuck Stewart's recently discovered photographs of John Coltrane's recording session for A Love Supreme. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Jaco Pastorius: According to All About Jazz, Jaco Pastorius's album, Modern American Music ... Period! The Criteria Sessions, will be released in April.
George Russell: At The Guardian, John Fordham discusses the career of George Russell, "the composer who thought outside the box."
Jazz saxophonist Lester Young died on March 15, 1959, in New York City at the age of 49. He had just returned to New York from a European tour, during which he ate almost nothing and literally drank himself to death. He is buried at the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn.
Young was one of the most important tenor sax players in the history of jazz, and Len Lyons ranks him as "the most innovative instrumentalist in jazz between Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker."
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends The Lester Young Story, Vol. 1 (Columbia JG 33502, 2 LPs). Unfortunately, this album is only available on vinyl. A good alternative on CD is the British import, The Lester Young Story, which is re-issued on the Proper label and contains four CDs. (Purchase the CD, The Lester Young Story, at Barnes & Noble.)
Young plays "Mean to Me" from a September 1958 broadcast here:
Ornette Coleman: New Jazz United shares the Ornette Coleman song, "Just for You." (The song is available on the album, The Art of the Improvisers, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
Miles Davis: According to Jeff Tamarkin at JazzTimes, Columbia/Legacy Recordings has announced the March release of the album, Miles at the Fillmore—Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3.
Sun Ra: Talk About Jazz shares the song, "Abstract 'I'," from Sun Ra's album, The Magic City. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Wayne Shorter: Talk About Jazz shares the song, "Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5," from Wayne Shorter's album, Alegría. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
John Coltrane: At NPR's A Blog Supreme, David Brent Johnson looks at five jazz versions of spirituals, including John Coltrane's "Spiritual." (The song is available on the album, Live at the Village Vanguard, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
Miles Davis: At HubPages, Jason Sositko debates which of Miles Davis's phases was the most groundbreaking, acoustic or electric.
Miles Davis: Jason Sositko has a long discussion of Miles Davis's electric music from 1969 to 1975 at HubPages.
Miles Davis: At HubPages, Jason Sositko looks at the final 10 years of Miles Davis's life, including the following albums:
We Want Miles (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Billie Holiday: Jason Sositko discusses Billie Holiday's song, "Strange Fruit," at HubPages. (The song is available on the album The Best of Billie Holiday, which can be purchased from Amazon.com.)
Lester Young: At Do the Math, Ethan Iverson shares a transcription of Lester Young's version of "Tea for Two."
John Coltrane, Miles Davis: At Music and More, Tim Niland reveals his selections in the 8th annual Francis Davis critics poll, which is hosted by NPR. Niland includes the following in his list of the best reissues of 2013:
Miles Davis, The Original Mono Recordings. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
John Coltrane, Sun Ship: The Complete Sessions. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Duke Ellington: Maria Popova discusses Duke Ellington's relationship with food, based on excerpts from Terry Teachout's book, Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington, at Brain Pickings. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)
Woody Herman: At JazzWax, Marc Myers discusses the Kennedy assassination and the Woody Herman album that was being recorded at that time, Woody Herman: 1964. (Purchase the album from Amazon.com.)
Charlie Parker: Ian Patterson reviews Yusef Komunyakaa's book, Testimony: A Tribute To Charlie Parker, at All About Jazz. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)
Lester Young: Brilliant Corners focuses on Lester Young and says that "anyone interested in playing jazz has to listen to Lester Young, even now, so many years after his death in 1959."
John Coltrane: Ian Patterson reviews Tony Whyton's book, Beyond A Love Supreme: John Coltrane And The Legacy Of An Album, at All About Jazz. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)
John Coltrane: All About Jazz shares a section from Tony Whyton's book, Beyond A Love Supreme: John Coltrane And The Legacy Of An Album. (Purchase the book from Amazon.com.)
Jazz saxophonist Lester Young was born on August 27, 1909, in Woodville, Mississippi. Nicknamed "Prez," Young was one of the most important tenor sax players in the history of jazz, and Len Lyons ranks him as "the most innovative instrumentalist in jazz between Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker."
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends The Lester Young Story, Vol. 1 (Columbia JG 33502, 2 LPs). Unfortunately, this album is only available on vinyl. A good alternative on CD is the British import, The Lester Young Story, which is re-issued on the Proper label and contains four CDs. (Purchase the CD, The Lester Young Story, at Barnes & Noble.)
As jazz critic Scott Yanow points out, Young "came up with a completely different conception in which to play his horn, floating over bar lines with a light tone rather than adopting Coleman Hawkins' then-dominant forceful approach." That style can be heard on his solo on "Oh, Lady, Be Good," recorded in 1936 with Count Basie, here:
Jazz saxophonist Lester Young died on March 15, 1959, in New York City at the age of 49. He had just returned to New York from a European tour, during which he ate almost nothing and literally drank himself to death. He is buried at the Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn.
Young was one of the most important tenor sax players in the history of jazz, and Len Lyons ranks him as "the most innovative instrumentalist in jazz between Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker."
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends The Lester Young Story, Vol. 1 (Columbia JG 33502, 2 LPs). Unfortunately, this album is only available on vinyl. A good alternative on CD is the British import, The Lester Young Story, which is re-issued on the Proper label and contains four CDs. (Purchase the CD, The Lester Young Story, at Barnes & Noble.)
Young plays "Mean to Me" from a September 1958 broadcast here:
On September 5, 1939, Count Basie's Kansas City Seven recorded "Lester Leaps In," featuring tenor saxophonist Lester Young.
Young based his composition on the chord changes to George and Ira Gershwin’s 1930 tune, "I Got Rhythm," which has provided the chord progressions for a number of jazz compositions, including Charlie Parker's "Moose the Mooche" and Ornette Coleman's "Chippie."
Young's recording with the Basie band consists of six choruses of 32 bars each:
Ensemble
Young
Young in stop time
Young and Basie trade fours
Young and the ensemble trade fours
Basie and the ensemble trade fours
The recording is interesting for a number of reasons.
First, as Alyn Shipton notes in A New History of Jazz, it shows Young's tendency to simplify: “far from employing the kind of substitute harmonies beloved of [Coleman] Hawkins, Young sought to simplify or reduce the harmonic material in a tune.... Young’s solo on ‘Lester Leaps In,’ with Count Basie’s Kansas City Seven, includes numerous examples of his tendency to simplify; although to counterbalance the most minimal aspects of the solo there are several neatly executed runs, arpeggios, and fills, in which he moves airily around the tenor."
Second, in spite of or in contrast to his tendency to simplify the harmonies, Young did revel in rhythmic variations. As Douglas Henry Daniels points out in his excellent biography, Lester Leaps In: The Life and Times of Lester "Pres" Young, "the climactic moments in his solos are drum patterns as much as they are melodies." Or as Alyn Shipton again notes in A New History of Jazz, Young “tackled rhythm in a distinctly different way from [Coleman] Hawkins. Whereas Hawkins tended to construct rising and falling patterns of eighth notes, relying on harmonic complexity to provide interest, Young’s solo on ‘Lester Leaps In’ abounds with rhythmic variation. Some phrases enter exactly on the beat; others are delayed by an eighth note, or a quarter note. When a motif is repeated, it is often placed differently over the accompanying beat on each repetition, sometimes using a minute delay of anticipation.”
Third, there is the famous collision between Young and Count Basie at the beginning of Young's second chorus. According to Dave Gelly in Being Prez: The Life and Music of Lester Young, "Lester carries doggedly on while Basie stops to get his bearings, and they're back on track eight bars later. A second take was recorded but Lester's solo was not so good, so the first was released, collision included." Gunther Schuller's analysis of the piece in The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945 says much the same and suggests that Basie simply forgot about Young's second chorus.
There are several other noteworthy recordings of "Lester Leaps In," including the 1949 recording of a Jazz at the Philharmonic concert that includes some great solos by Charlie Parker — this was one of the few recordings of Parker with Young, his early mentor — as well as trumpeter Roy Eldridge (doing some nice interplay with Buddy Rich on drums) and tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips.
Vocalese pioneer Eddie Jefferson also wrote lyrics for the tune and recorded it as “I Got the Blues.”
Recordings of note:
Count Basie, The Essential Count Basie, Volume II. (Available at Amazon.com.)
Charlie Parker, Jazz at the Philharmonic 1949. (Available at Amazon.com.)
Eddie Jefferson, Jazz Singer. (Available at Amazon.com.)
Cannonball Adderley: Peter Hum reviews Legends Live: Cannonball Adderley Quintet at the Ottawa Citizen. (Purchase Legends Live: Cannonball Adderley Quintet from Amazon.com.)
Miles Davis: According to Miles Davis Online, plans for a Miles Davis statue in the musician's home town on Alton, Illinois, are proceeding.
Herbie Hancock: George Colligan reviews Bob Gluck's book, You'll Know When You Get There: Herbie Hancock and The Mwandishi Band, at Jazz Truth. (Purchase You'll Know When You Get There: Herbie Hancock and The Mwandishi Band from The University of Chicago Press.)
Keith Jarrett: Peter Hum reviews the Keith Jarrett album, Sleeper: Tokyo, April 16, 1979, at the Ottawa Citizen. (Purchase Sleeper: Tokyo, April 16, 1979 from Amazon.com.)
Jazz saxophonist Lester Young was born on August 27, 1909, in Woodville, Mississippi. Nicknamed "Prez," Young was one of the most important tenor sax players in the history of jazz, and Len Lyons ranks him as "the most innovative instrumentalist in jazz between Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker."
In his book, The 101 Best Jazz Albums, Len Lyons recommends The Lester Young Story, Vol. 1 (Columbia JG 33502, 2 LPs). Unfortunately, this album is only available on vinyl. A good alternative on CD is the British import, The Lester Young Story, which is re-issued on the Proper label and contains four CDs. (Purchase the CD, The Lester Young Story, at Barnes & Noble.)
As jazz critic Scott Yanow points out, Young "came up with a completely different conception in which to play his horn, floating over bar lines with a light tone rather than adopting Coleman Hawkins' then-dominant forceful approach." That style can be heard on his solo on "Oh, Lady, Be Good," recorded in 1936 with Count Basie, here:
