Lester Young

Lester Young
Lester Young
	Young (left) in 1944
Background information
Birth name	Lester Willis Young
Also known as	"Pres" or "Prez"
Born	August 27, 1909; Woodville, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	March 15, 1959 (aged 49); New York City, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	Tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet
Years active	1933–1959
Labels	Verve; Commodore; Savoy; Pablo; Victor;

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".^[1]

Known for his hip, introverted style,^[2] he invented or popularized much of the hipster jargon which came to be associated with the music.^[3]

^ DeVeaux 2011, p. 172.
^ DeVeaux 2011, p. 171.
^ "Charlie [Parker] was shy of hipster elaborations. He added nothing to the vocabulary, as did Lester Young, one of the great hip verbalists." Russell, Ross (1973). Bird Lives: The High Life and Hard Times of Charlie (Yardbird) Parker. DaCapo Press, p. 186

[FOOTNOTEDeVeaux2011172-1] DeVeaux 2011, p. 172.

[FOOTNOTEDeVeaux2011171-2] DeVeaux 2011, p. 171.

[3] "Charlie [Parker] was shy of hipster elaborations. He added nothing to the vocabulary, as did Lester Young, one of the great hip verbalists." Russell, Ross (1973). Bird Lives: The High Life and Hard Times of Charlie (Yardbird) Parker. DaCapo Press, p. 186

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