Lester Young
Lester Young was one of the true giants of jazz, a tenor saxophonist, who had a different approach in which to play his horn, floating over bar lines with a light tone rather than adopting Coleman Hawkins’ then-dominant forceful approach. As non-conformist, Young (nicknamed “Prez” by Billie Holiday) had the ironic experience in the 1950s of hearing many young tenors try to emulate him.
He spent his early days near New Orleans, Louisiana. Lester Young lived in Minneapolis by 1920 and was playing in a legendary family band. He studied violin, trumpet, and drums, starting on alto saxophone at age 13. Because he refused to tour in the South, Young left home in 1927 and instead toured with Art Bronson’s Bostonians. He switched to tenor saxophone.
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Tag: Horns, Jazz, Music, Oldies, Recording Artists |
