HAL*LEONARDDe Agree ea cE rae Ue ened pe ec Cee ore) ral eed ol alo te eee a eee et eee ens “For at works contained hacen: Li ele ae ia td wae Le een poeta sil Se lsteeueakovated pa ancaerinaeyere Born August 27, 1909, Lester Young was the oldest of three children and grew up in the New Orleans oe ee Ch eer ee oe ORR instruments. Lester studied violin, trumpet, and drums while playing in his father’s family band. He ‘eventually settled on the alto saxophone at age 13, switching to tenor when he joined Art Bronson’s Bostonians in 1928. After two years with Bronson and stints with various other bands, Young joined ‘Walter Paige’s Original Blue Devils in 1930. When the Blue Devils disbanded in 1933, Young made Kansas City his home and played with the likes of Bennie Moten, George E. Lee, King Oliver, and Count Basie. In 1936, Young formally joined Basie’s band, making his first recordings. He became known for his solos on “Lady Be Good” and “Shoe Shine Boy”, which were leamed note for note by other musicians. As Basie's band became more well known, Lester Young was more prominently featured on its recordings and broadcasts. During this time, Young also became known for his small group recordings featuring pianist Teddy Wilson and singer Billie Holiday, who nicknamed him “Pres”. He returned the favor, calling her “Lady Day”. Young left Basie in late 1940 to form his own band, which performed at Kelly’s Stable in New York in early 1941. In May of that year, he moved to Los Angeles to form a band with his brother, Lee, which went to New York's Café Society in September 1942. The next year, the group disbanded and Young stayed in New York, freelancing and going on tour with a USO band. In December 1943, Lester Young rejoined Count Basie’s band and finally came to notice of the general public, He won jazz polls, among them first place in Downbeat for tenor saxophonists. He also became the favorite of the next generation of jazz musicians, including John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Stan Getz. 1944 proved to be the start of a traumatic period for Young. Drafted into the army, he was stationed at Fort McClellan in Alabama. During this time he was not permitted to play ee esto nce tee OMe Vee nest eer ee Oar eee Rene oe ar ea ee se ets Georgia. At the end of 1945, he was released and resumed recording and performing in Los Angeles. His first recording session after his release produced a landmark performance on “These Foolish Things", He started touring with Jazz at the Philharmonic and also with his own small groups. Young remained a vital force on the music scene, tutoring and assisting other young musicians. But along with these successes, a lingering problem with alcohol became more of a burden. He continued to make many more fine recordings in the 1950s, but from 1953 on, it became evident his health was degenerating. Young was still able to pull off the occasional brilliant performance, such as on the recording Prez in Europe in 1956, He made guest appearances with Basie’s band from 1952-54 Pree eee eee ace Carer eed dependent on alcohol, his hospital visits would become more frequent. In January 1959, Lester Young Pesce Ns tn ote sce ree eee cee cose ee eV then became severely ill. Shortly after returning to New York, Lester Young died on March 15, 1959.