Saxophonists come and saxophonists go but Lester Young swings on forever. There may be other tenor men with more technique, some of them even with as much swing, but for what Lester does, no one has ever matched it.There is hardly a tenor saxophone player today who can play an entire chorus without playing some Lester Young. One of the least talkative of jazz musicians, in public that is, he has, to go back a few years in jazz slang, spoken a book every time he has played his horn. He is not called "The Pres" for nothing.
He is!
When he first made the jazz world conscious of his horn, sliding gently out of the Basie sax section and swinging and swinging and swinging in front of the band, he set the definitive style for tenors. He was "cool" long before the world even entered the jazz dictionary. In fact, he probably put it there, as he has made more than his share of contributions to jazz slang.
One of the things that makes Lester's music so valid is the fact that his playing experience goes all the way back to King Oliver, and his musical sources, therefore, include the whole range of jazz. Lester Young is closing his second decade as a major influence in jazz. You can tell, when you hear the sides in this LP, why he has remained on top so long.
On these sides, the Pres is backed by the Oscar Peterson Trio (Oscar, piano; Barney Kessel, guitar; Ray Brown, bass) and the drums of J. C. Heard. With musicians of this stature to complement his playing, he is allowed full rein for his creative talents. *Nat Hentoff, 1954 (from the liner notes)*
Lester is backed on all of these by Oscar Peterson, Barney Kessel, Ray Brown, and J. C. Heard. It looks as if the President may have decided to seek another term. These are Lester's most consistently exciting records. (Even with the few flaws) in months. Much credit is due the magnificent support given him by Oscar and his contingent, but Pres himself seems fully and vigorously interested in what's going on, something that's not always been so recently.
Fortunately, several of the tunes go beyond the three-minute limit, so there's plenty of room for building up to a wail, and that's what happens. And such a beat all the way!
*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, May 19, 1954 [5 stars]*)
Lester Young • Oscar Peterson
Lester Young With The Oscar Peterson Trio
Lester Young With The Oscar Peterson Trio is a 1954 studio album by Lester Young, accompanied by Oscar Peterson's working trio of the time (featuring Ray Brown and Barney Kessel), plus drummer J. C. Heard. The music on this album was originally released as three separate albums: Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio #1 and Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio #2, both released in June 1954 (MGN 5 & 6), and The President (August 1954, MGN 1005). It was collated for this 1997 reissue by Verve Records.
Lester Young (1909-1959) was one of the all-time great tenor-saxophonists, a non-conformist whose floating cool-toned style was much different than that of the dominant influence of the 1920s and '30s, Coleman Hawkins. Young defied stereotypes in his life and his music. While it was once widely taken for granted that, after his horrific experiences in the Army during World War II, his playing was never as good again, that has been disproven by his best recordings of the 1950s.
Lester Young With The Oscar Peterson Trio is a real gem. Recorded in 1952, Young is joined by pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer J.C. Heard on some of his favorite swing standards. Young, like Louis Armstrong, had the ability to slightly alter melodies for the better through his phrasing, and to make every note count.
Among the many highlights of this classic album are Lester Young's versions of "Just You, Just Me", "Almost Like Being In Love", "There Will Never Be Another You", "Star Dust", "I’m Confessin'" and "I Can’t Give You Anything But Love". An unusual bonus is hearing Young’s only recorded vocal, a witty if tentative "It Takes Two To Tango" that went unreleased for decades.
Lester Young and Oscar Peterson (who proves to be the perfect accompanist in addition to contributing many concise solos) brought out the best in each other throughout this essential release. *Scott Yanow (syncopatedtimes.com)*
1 - Ad Lib Blues
(Oscar Peterson, Lester Young)
2 - I Can't Get Started
(Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin)
3 - Just You, Just Me
(Jesse Greer, Raymond Klages)
4 - Almost Like Being In Love
(Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe)
5 - Tea for Two
(Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans)
6 - There Will Never Be Another You
(Mack Gordon, Harry Warren)
7 - (Back Home Again In) Indiana
(James F. Hanley, Ballard MacDonald)
8 - On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh)
9 - Stardust
(Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish)
10 - I'm Confessin'
(Doc Daugherty, Al J. Neiburg, Ellis Reynolds)
11 - I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(Fields, McHugh)
12 - These Foolish Things
(Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey)
13 - (It Takes) Two to Tango
[rehearsal, false start and chatter]
(Al Hoffman, Dick Manning)
14 - I Can't Get Started
[false start]
Lester Young (tenor sax, vocals [#13]), Oscar Peterson (piano),
Barney Kessel (guitar), Ray Brown (bass), J. C. Heard (drums)
Recorded in New York City, November 28, 1952
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