Lester Young in the 1940s
The legendary “President of the tenor saxophone”, Lester Young (1909-59) made some of his greatest recordings in the 1940s. Geoffrey Smith picks highlights from a decade that saw “Prez” become the idol of the cool school and tenor stars like Stan Getz.
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Lester Young & The Nat King Cole Trio
Indiana
- The Super Sessions.
- LE JAZZ.
- 1.
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Lester Young & The Nat King Cole Trio
Body And Soul
- Lester Young - The Super Sessions.
- Charly Le Jazz.
- 4.
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Lester Young Quartet
Afternoon of A Basie-Ite
- Lester Young - The Super Sessions.
- Charly Le Jazz.
- 9.
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Dicky Wells Orchestra
I Got Rhythm
- THE JAZZ AND VOCAL COLLECTION.
- AVID.
- 17.
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Kansas City Seven
Lester Leaps Again
- Lester Young - The Super Sessions.
- Charly Le Jazz.
- 17.
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Lester Young Kansas City Six
Three Little Words
- Kansas City 5, 6 & 7.
- Classics.
- 14.
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Vic Dickenson, Lester Young, Dodo Marmarosa, Red Callender & Henry Tucker Green
These Foolish Things
- Lester Young: Lester Leaps Again.
- Proper.
- 16.
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Nat King Cole/Lester Young - Buddy Rich Trio/Buddy Rich
I've Found A New Baby
- Lester Leaps Again.
- Proper.
- 20.
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Lester Young And Band
It's Only A Paper Moon
- The Complete Aladdin Recordings.
- Definitive Records.
- 9.
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Lester Young
Jumping With Symphony Sid
- The Complete Aladdin Recordings.
- Definitive Records.
- 19.
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Lester Young And Band
Movin' With Lester
- The Complete Aladdin Recordings.
- Definitive Records.
- 1.
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Lester Young And Band
Polka Dots And Moonbeams
- THE COMPLETE LESTER YOUNG STUDIO SESSIONS ON VERVE.
- VERVE.
- 14.
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Lester Young Quintet
D.B. Blues Blues
- Jazz at the Philharmonic - The First Ten Years.
- Proper.
- 5.
Lester Young in the 1940s
TITLE INDIANA
Artists: Lester Young/Nat King Cole Trio
Composers: James F. Hanley/ Ballard MacDonald
Album Title: The Super Sessions
Label: Charly Records – Le Jazz CD 36
Performers: Lester Young (tenor sax); Nat King Cole (piano); Red Callender (bass)
TITLE BODY AND SOUL
Artists: Lester Young/Nat King Cole Trio
Composers: Frank Eyton/Johnny Green/Edward Heyman/Robert Sour
Album Title: The Super Sessions
Label: Charly Records – Le Jazz CD 36
Performers: Lester Young (tenor sax); Nat King Cole (piano); Red Callender (bass)
TITLE AFTERNOON OF BASIE-ITE
Artists: Lester Young Quartet
Composers: Lester Young
Album Title: The Super Sessions
Label: Charly Records – Le Jazz CD 36
Performers: Lester Young (tenor sax); Johnny Guarnieri (piano); Slam Stewart (bass); Sid Catlett (drums)
TITLE I GOT RHYTHM
Artists: Dickie Wells and his orchestra
Composers: George Gershwin
Album Title: The Jazz and Vocal Collection
Label: AVID: AMSC-568
Performers: Dicky Wells (trombone); Lester Young (tenor sax); Bill Coleman (trumpet); Ellis Larkins (piano); Freddie Green (guitar); Al Hall (bass) Jo Jones (drums).
TITLE LESTER LEAPS AGAIN
Artists: Kansas City Seven
Composers: Buck Clayton
Album Title: The Super Sessions
Label: Charly Records – Le Jazz CD 36
Performers: Buck Clayton (trumpet); Dicky Wells (trombone); Lester Young (tenor sax); Count Basie (piano); Freddie Green (guitar); Rodney Richardson (bass); Jo Jones (drums)
TITLE THREE LITTLE WORDS
Artists: Lester Young Kansas City Six
Composers: Harry Ruby/ Bert Kalmar
Album Title: Kansas City 5, 6 & 7
Label: Classics: Classics-912
Performers: Bill Coleman (trumpet); Dickie Wells (trombone); Lester Young (tenor sax); Joe Bushkin (piano); John Simmons (bass); Jo Jones (drums)
TITLE THESE FOOLISH THINGS
Artists: Lester Young and his band
Composers: Harry Link/Holt Marvell/Jack Strachey
Album Title: Lester Leaps Again
Label: Proper: P-1131
Performers: Vic Dickenson (trombone); Lester Young (tenor sax); Dodo Marmarosa (piano); Red Callender (bass); Henry Tucker Green (drums)
TITLE I’VE FOUND A NEW BABY
Artists: Lester Young/Buddy Rich Trio
Composers: Jack Palmer/Spencer Williams
Album Title: Lester Leaps Again
Label: Proper: P-1131
Performers: Lester Young (tenor sax); Nat King Cole (piano); Buddy Rich (drums).
TITLE IT’S ONLY A PAPER MOON
Artists: Lester Young & band
Composers: Billy Rose/E.Y. Harburg/Harold Arlen
Album Title: The Complete Aladdin Recordings
Label: Definitive Records: DRCD-11385
Performers: Lester Young (tenor); Lee Wesley Jones (piano); Willie Smith (alto sax); Howard McGhee (trumpet); Vic Dickenson (trombone); Curtis Counce (bass); Johnny Otis (drums).
TITLE JUMPIN’ WITH SYMPHONY SID
Artists: Lester Young
Composers: Lester Young
Album Title: The Complete Aladdin Recordings
Label: Definitive Records: DRCD-11385
Performers: Lester Young (tenor Sax); Shorty McConnell (trumpet); Argonne Thornton – aka Sadik Hakim – (piano); Fred Lacey (guitar); Rodney Richardson (bass); Lyndell Marshall (drums).
TITLE MOVIN’ WITH LESTER
Artists: Lester Young and Band
Composers: Lester Young
Album Title: The Complete Aladdin Recordings
Label: Definitive Records: DRCD-11385
Performers: Lester Young (tenor Sax); Shorty McConnell (trumpet); Argonne Thornton – aka Sadik Hakim – (piano); Fred Lacey (guitar); Ted Briscoe (bass); Roy Haynes (drums).
TITLE POLKA DOTS AND MOONBEAMS
Artists: Lester Young and Band
Composers: Jimmy Van Heusen/Johnny Burke
Album Title: The Complete Lester Young Studio Sessions on Verve
Label: VERVE: 314-547 087-2
Performers: Lester Young (tenor sax); Hank Jones (piano); Ray Brown (bass); Buddy Rich (drums)
TITLE D.B. BLUES
Artists: Lester Young Quintet
Composers: Lester Young
Album Title: The Lester Young Story
Label: Proper P 1428
Performers: Lester Young (tenor Sax); Oscar Peterson (piano); Herb Ellis (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); J.C. Heard (drums)
Broadcast
- Sun 17 Feb 2019 00:00BBC Radio 3
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