Young, Lester

Young, Lester

▪ American musician
byname  Pres, or Prez  
born Aug. 27, 1909, Woodville, Miss., U.S.
died March 15, 1959, New York, N.Y.
 American tenor saxophonist who emerged in the mid-1930s Kansas City, Mo., jazz world with the Count Basie (Basie, Count) band and introduced an approach to improvisation that provided much of the basis for modern jazz solo conception.

      Young's tone was a striking departure from the accepted full-bodied, dark, heavy variety, with its quick vibrato, because his was light in weight, colour, and texture, with a slow vibrato. The swinging, rhythmic feeling in his improvisations was far more relaxed and graceful than that usually heard in the work of others during the 1930s. His lines were streamlined, logical, and refreshingly melodic. The impact of his style was so broad that he has been cited as a favourite by such diverse modern jazz figures as Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, and John Coltrane. Much of the West Coast “cool” style was a direct product of Lester Young's approach, many saxophonists playing his lines note for note in their own performances. He was so important that singer Billie Holiday (Holiday, Billie) called him president of tenor saxophonists, and he was known thereafter as Pres (or Prez). His best-known performances include “Taxi War Dance,” “D.B. Blues,” and “Lester Leaps In.”

Additional Reading
Lewis Porter, Lester Young (1985); Lewis Porter (ed.), A Lester Young Reader (1991).

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Young,Lester Willis — Young, Lester Willis. Known as “Pres.” 1909 1959. American jazz musician with an improvisational, influental tenor saxophone style. * * * …   Universalium

  • Young, Lester (Willis) — born Aug. 27, 1909, Woodville, Miss., U.S. died March 15, 1959, New York, N.Y. U.S. tenor saxophonist. Young joined Count Basie s band in 1936 and was recognized as a major new stylist on the instrument. His small group recordings from the late… …   Universalium

  • Young, Lester (Willis) — (27 ago.1909, Woodville, Miss., EE.UU.–15 mar. 1959, Nueva York, N.Y.). Saxofonista tenor estadounidense. En 1936 se incorporó a la banda de Count Basie y fue reconocido como el principal nuevo estilista en el instrumento. Se consideran clásicas… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Lester Willis Young — Lester Young Pour les articles homonymes, voir Young. Lester Young Alias The Prez Nom Lester Willis Young Naissance 27 Août 1909 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Lester — Lester, Richard * * * (as used in expressions) Bennett Lester Carter Flatt, Lester (Raymond) Lester Polfus Pearson, Lester B(owles) Young, Lester (Willis) …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Young — Young, Arthur Young, Brigham Young, Charles Augustus Young, Edward Young, James Young, Owen Young, Thomas Young, módulo de * * * (as used in expressions) …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Young — (Edward) (1683 1765) poète anglais: Plaintes ou Pensées nocturnes sur la vie, la mort et l immortalité (1742 1745), long poème préromantique, nommé cour. Nuits. Young (Lester Willis) (1909 1959) saxophoniste de jazz américain …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Lester Young — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Young. Lester Young …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Lester — /les teuhr/, n. a male given name: from the English placename Leicester. * * * (as used in expressions) Bennett Lester Carter Flatt Lester Raymond Lester Polfus Pearson Lester Bowles Young Lester Willis * * * …   Universalium

  • Young — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Sur les autres projets Wikimedia : « Young », sur le Wiktionnaire (dictionnaire universel) Young est un nom anglais d origine germanique… …   Wikipédia en Français

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