ENDEIT
Lester Young
Photo: William P. Gottlieb, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Saxophonists · 1909–1959

Lester Young

American jazz saxophonist (1909–1959)

Born
27 August 1909
Woodville
Died
15 March 1959
New York City
Country
United States
Record labels
Verve Records, Savoy Records, Commodore Records, Original Jazz Classics
Discography
42 albums

Biography

Lester Young was a jazz musician who played saxophone, clarinet and tenor saxophone. Lester Young was born on 27 August 1909 in Woodville and died on 15 March 1959 in New York City. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: Verve Records, Savoy Records, Commodore Records and Original Jazz Classics. The discography here lists 42 albums, from “Lester Young with The Oscar Peterson Trio #1” (1954) to “Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?” (2024). Honours include Grammy Hall of Fame (2004).

Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez" (short for the "President of the tenor saxophone"), 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 hipster jargon which came to be associated with the music.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

Lester Young with The Oscar Peterson Trio #1 1954 · Norgran Records Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio #2 1954 · Norgran Records The President 1954 · Norgran Records Pres and Sweets 1955 · Norgran Records Le Dernier Message de Lester Young 1959 · Barclay In Washington, D.C. 1956, Volume One 1980 · Live · Pablo Jumpin' At The Savoy Ballroom 1984 · Live · Audiofidelity Enterprises, Inc. The Savoy Recordings 1984 · Savoy Jazz
Carnegie Blues 1985 · Live
The Complete Lester Young 1987 · Mercury Records Prez Conferences 1989 · Jass Records The Savoy Recordings, Vol 1 1989 · Vogue Jazz Immortal Series - Volume 2 - The Pres 1992 · Savoy Jazz The Jazz Giants 1992 · Verve Lester Young Trio 1994 · Verve In Washington D.C., 1956 Volume Three 1996 · Live · Pablo In Washington, D.C. 1956 Volume Two 1996 · Live · Pablo Jazz At The Philarmonic-Frankfurt 1952 1997 · Live · Pablo Lady Be Good 1997 · Jazz Time In Washington, D.C. 1956, Vol. 4 1998 · Pablo In Washington, D.C. 1956, Vol. 5 1998 · Original Jazz Classics In Washington, D.C., 1956, Volume 4 1998 · Live Blue Lester 2000 · Dreyfus Jazz Laughin' to Keep From Cryin' 2000 · Verve
Live! from the Royal Roost 2000
Easy Does It 2001 · Past Perfect Silver Line Live at the Birdland 2001 · Live · Past Perfect Prez In Europe 2002 · HighNote Records, Inc. The Complete Savoy Recordings 2002 · Savoy Jazz Timeless Lester Young 2003 · Savoy Jazz
Blue Lester: The One and Only 2005
Live at Birdland 2007 · ESP‐Disk’ Boston 1950 2013 · Live · Uptown Records All That Jazz, Vol. 73: Lester Young "Exercises in Swing" 2016 · Jube Legends Four Classic Albums (Second Set) 2018 · Avid Entertainment Lester Leaps In 2018 · 2xHD Don't You Know Who I Think I Am? 2024 · Nagel Heyer Records
Hooray For Lester Young Vol. 1
Hooray For Lester Young Vol. 2
Lester Young
Queen Disc #1
The President (Vol. 5)

Also plays on

Albums where Lester Young is credited as a sideman

1946 Bird & Pres at JAPT — Bird & Pres tenor saxophone
1960 The Drum Battle — Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich tenor saxophone
1974 Meets The Master Saxes - Lester Young, Dexter Gordon, Illinois Jacquet — Nat Cole tenor saxophone
1984 Jazz at the Philharmonic - Carnegie Hall 1949 — Bird & Pres tenor saxophone
1991 All Night Session!, Volume 3 — Hampton Hawes producer
1994 Listen... You Shall Hear — Count Basie tenor saxophone, clarinet
1995 Love Me or Leave Me — Billie Holiday tenor saxophone
1996 All Night Session — Hampton Hawes producer
1997 One Night Stand: The Town Hall Concert 1947 — Sarah Vaughan & Lester Young tenor saxophone
1998 Gershwin Jazz — George Gershwin tenor saxophone
1998 Swingsation — Count Basie clarinet, tenor saxophone
2014 The Lester Young-Buddy Rich Trio with Nat "King" Cole — Lester Young-Buddy Rich Trio & Nat King Cole tenor saxophone
2024 At The Piano — Count Basie clarinet, tenor saxophone

Standards written by Lester Young

TitleKeyFormGroove
Jumpin With Symphony Sid B♭ major A · 12 Medium swing
Tickle-Toe D♭ major ABAB · 32 Up-tempo swing

Analysed solos by Lester Young

Awards

Historic 78 rpm records

  • Norman Granz' JAZZ at the Philharmonic Charlie Ventura · John Birks · Billy Hadnott · Lee Young · Myer ·… archive.org ↗
  • Norman Granz' JAZZ at the Philharmonic - Vol. 2 John Birks · Lee Young · Billy Hadnott · Charlie Parker · Shoeless… archive.org ↗
  • LESTER LEAPS IN, Pt. I Jack McVea · Illinois Jacquet · J. J. Johnson · "Shorty" Nadine ·… archive.org ↗
  • Norman Granz' JAZZ at the Philharmonic - Vol. 3 Howard McGhee · Arnold Ross · Lee Young · Charlie Parker · NORMAN… archive.org ↗
  • JUMP FOR ME COUNT BASIE AND HIS ORCH. · Ed Lewis · Harry Edison · Buck Clayton ·… archive.org ↗
  • THE WORLD IS MAD COUNT BASIE'S ORCHESTRA · Lester Young · Buddy Tate · Ed Lewis, H… archive.org ↗
  • LADY BE GOOD LESTER YOUNG · COUNT BASIE'S KANSAS CITY SEVEN · Lester Young · Carl… archive.org ↗
  • THE WORLD IS MAD COUNT BASIE'S ORCHESTRA · Lester Young · Buddy Tate · Ed Lewis, H… archive.org ↗

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Lester Young play?

Lester Young is known for playing saxophone, clarinet and tenor saxophone.

When and where was Lester Young born?

Lester Young was born 27 August 1909 in Woodville.

What are Lester Young's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Lester Young with The Oscar Peterson Trio #1 (1954), Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio #2 (1954), The President (1954), Pres and Sweets (1955) and Le Dernier Message de Lester Young (1959).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.