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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 | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet |
| Years active | 1933–1959 |
| Labels | |
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