Lester young early life

Lester young wife
Lester young cool
Lester young cause of death

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It would be hard to imagine Lester Young being anything except a jazz musician. He was extremely shy, and he created an insular universe to protect himself from the cruelties of the outside world. He was only comfortable around black jazz musicians, and he devised a secret language filled with code phrases that few could fully comprehend. He is credited with the phrase “tell your story” as a metaphor for jazz improvisation, and it seems that the only time Young was an extrovert was when he used his horn and told his own story. More than any other jazz musician, Young’s solos were emotionally transparent. It was easy to tell if Young was elated, combative, depressed or just uninspired. It would seem that the most logical approach to Lester Young’s life and music would be to discuss them together. However, none of the existing biographies of Young (save the one under review here) have taken that approach. Dave Gelly’s slim but informative biography, “Being Prez: The Life and Music of Lester Young” (published in North America by Oxford, and elsewhere by Equinox) makes the essential c

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Lester Young

Born on August 27^th 1909, Lester Young ( “Prez” )was one of the giants of the tenor saxophone. In the swing era he staked his claim by being refreshingly different from his peers Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster. Young’s sound was dancing, light as air and he played mellow ideas that for some were a harbinger of the bebop movement to follow. Young arrived in 1930’s Kansas City, a mecca of Jazz activity and played with various bands including the Benny Moten and Fletcher Henderson orchestras, and in 1936 he joined Count Basie’s ensemble.

The association with Basie yielded a combination of big band and small group sides, where Lester’s solos stood out amongst the likes of fellow tenor Herschel Evans. Selections such as “Taxi War Dance” and the “I Got Rhythm” based “Lester Leaps In” were showcases for his sound and ideas. Young played with Basie until 1949, with an military stint in between where he was drafted and later found guilty of marijuana use. Young toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic, and his tone and ideas took a darker shade.

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Lester Young

American jazz saxophonist (1909–1959)

Musical artist

Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist.

Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most influential players on his instrument. In contrast to many of his hard-driving peers, Young played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated harmonies, using what one critic called "a free-floating style, wheeling and diving like a gull, banking with low, funky riffs that pleased dancers and listeners alike".

Known for his hip, introverted style, he invented or popularized much of the hipsterjargon which came to be associated with the music.^[3]

Early life and career

Lester Young was born in Woodville, Mississippi, on August 27, 1909, to Lizetta Young (née Johnson), and Willis Handy Young, originally from Louisiana. Lester had two siblings – a brother, Leonidas Raymond, known as Lee Young, who became a drummer, and a sister, Irma Cornelia. He g