Great Players Lester Young - an object lesson

[Bobby G]

I heard a tune on the radio yesterday by Billie Holiday, I can't remember what it was but it was a slow, bluesy number. I know, that doesn't really narrow it down too much, does it? Anyway, it had a solo from Lester Young that was only 12 bars, but was an object lesson in how to play a blues solo; not too many notes, plenty of feel and a beautiful tone; his tenor-playing almost sounds like an alto at times.

The main lesson for me was that you can play a great 12-bars of blues solo with what seems like as little as about 37 notes as long as they are the 'right' notes, you don't need to go for freneticism or histrionics. So, I tried it myself today (jammin' along with Jimmy Smith's "Back At The Chicken Shack") and boy it really works! It allows you to really sink into the music and dig in, gives you time to think/feel where you are in the tune etc.

Thanks Prez, I shall be listening to you a lot more in future!

 

[jadoube]

This clip of Billie Holiday includes some gorgeous stuff by Lester Young. (And the rest..)

One of my favourites. I keep coming back to listen, and watch. (And dream.) Don't use youtube for much of anything else.

link

 

[Bobby G]

Jadoube wrote:

This clip of Billie Holiday includes some gorgeous stuff by Lester Young. (And the rest..)

One of my favourites. I keep coming back to listen, and watch. (And dream.) Don't use youtube for much of anything else.

link

Yeah, I've watched that a few times. Beautiful all round.

 

[phil_edwards]

I've got a transcription of the Lester Young solo from this piece (written for Eb though).

Beautifully simple, PM if you'd like a copy.

Phil

 

[Jules]

Lester Young- Don't reckon it ever really got any "better" than that. Surely- blues is a fairly minimal genre by definition, the more histrionics the less blues it becomes....
"Yes, but if less is more, just think how much more more is going to be!".... Frasier :cry:

 

[young_col]

I guess that's the 1957 TV clip of Fine and Mellow? Magic. But anything of Lester Young is worth listening to from the first session he recorded in'36 including the great solo on Lady Be Good, onwards. Two of my particular favourites are from 1956 - All of Me with Teddy Wilson and Basie rhythm section (if this were a drummers' forum I would go on about Jo Jones), taken at fast tempo; and I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan, made within a few days of that, with same backing but also Roy Eldridge and Vic Dickenson - slow and wistful(you can imagine he must have heard Fred Astaire singing the theme in the same way on film).

Prez never wasted notes, but just used the odd turn as a sparse decoration. I think that if you listen you will find he didn't use many "blue" notes. He didn't need to. Jules and I agreed previously that you can't get too much of Prez!

Phil can I have a copy too - I guess it's in Eb for alto! I'll PM you.

Colin

 

[young_col]

BTW Bobby, Prez started off playing alto and took a lot of his inspiration for tone from Frank Trumbauer's C Melody. He always said he wanted to get the sound of an alto on tenor; that's where his "light and airy" sound came from. It was the first - and not always appreciated, esp by Fletcher Henderson - alternative to Coleman Hawkins' gruffer sound and more harmonic approach to improvisation.
C

 

[Bobby G]

PM sent, Phil. Thanks!

 

[Pjonah]

I love that clip of all the boys and miss holiday, the change in beat for Mulligan is awesome, still makes me stop in my tracks that piece.

Lester is so economic and efficient, you never feel he needs to overcomplicate things. Miss Holidays face when he plays is a picture, its as though she is in awe of sublime greatness.

 

[AlanU]

His first recording was October 8th 1936 playing Lady be Good.
One of the iconic recordings of all time, right up there with the best of Louis Armstrong.
At no point is the tune played, instead it is all in the timing and rhythmic interplay, playing across bar lines like the tune isn't there to state an alternative melody.
The other thing that always strikes me is that he seems to have all the time in the world.

Great stuff.

 

[peedee]

One of my favourite tunes is 'A Foggy Day' so I downloaded the sheet and played it. Looking through my record collection I noticed I have a recording of it by Lester. Fantastic, now I have the tune in my head (still can't play it by ear though), I'm having great fun trying to copy Lester's version by playing along with him.
As you say simple, but complete.

 

[young_col]

PeeDee - Is that the version with John Lewis, Gene Ramey and Jo Jones? I've got the theme in an Easy Gershwin collection for alto. It seems to have twice the number of notes Prez plays but I still can't get anywhere near his way!
Colin

 

[peedee]

Young Col wrote:
PeeDee - Is that the version with John Lewis, Gene Ramey and Jo Jones?
Colin

Nope, it's with Barney Kessel, g. Ray Brown, b. J.C.Heard, d.
Recorded New York Aug 4 1952

 

[young_col]

Ah, it's one I haven't got! He recorded a nice set of standards (not Foggy Day though) with the same personnel + Oscar Peterson on November 28 '52. The one with John Lewis is from '51.