Lester "Pres" Young

I think it's time I talk about the title of this blog and Lester Young a bit.
Lester Young is one of my all-time favorites. I discovered him because of Charlie Parker. (Of whom I have blogged about before here). He was a major influence on The Bird, so I got interested and then I got addicted. He was a tenor sax player with a big sound but smooth and less vibrato then Coleman Hawkins, one of the other major figures of early jazz saxophone. He made some amazing recordings under the name "Jones-Smith inc." Because of record label issues Lester recorded with Count Basie on piano, Jo Jones on drums, Walter Page on bass, and Carl smith on trumpet under the name of the two guys who weren't under contract all ready with another record label. I am including the song that gave this blog it's name and two of the songs with "Jones-Smith" These are recorded mid thirties and early 40's.

Lester was a unique personality, eccentric you might say, an individual by all accounts. This however, in this country, especially in the days of segregation in the United States, especially for a minority, was not necessarily something that many citizens could tolerate. And so this genius, was subject to what many before and after have been subject to, degradation and violence. It took a toll on him and he seemed to loosen his anchoring a bit in the later half of his life and become a complete alcoholic as well. Drank himself to death. Thank goodness though, that he waxed his genius for us on vinyl and we have it here today, still electrifying...

Pagin' The Devil -Live from the Spirituals To Swing Concert

Lady Be Good

And last, one of my all-time, most definitely desert island pick, pieces of music...
Shoe Shine Boy

Lester was a freestyler, in the way some of the best rappers freestyle today. Battles for rep were just as common back in Kansas City (where Lester made his bones) as they were for Biggie on the corners of Bedstuy Brooklyn. Kansas City was a crazy town and it is no coincidence that some of the nastiest jazz musicians came up in that madness (Charlie Parker was also from KC). If any of you have seen the Robert Altman movie "Kansas City" you would have seen a pretty excellent recreation of a jam session battle. This isn't the scene that I think is supposed to be based on a famous battle between Lester and Coleman Hawkins (which is in the movie) but it is pretty cool clip anyway:



And just to make the comparison between jazz improv and hip hop freestylinga little more obvious, here's young Biggie on the corner:



After invoking the name of the Devil and playing that sick freestyle, I felt guilty/cursed. Here is my cure for the jinx:

The Original Blind Boys of Alabama - This May Be the Last Time

Peace