Lester Leaps In: The Life and Times of Lester Young

Biographer Douglas Daniels discusses his groundbreaking biography of Lester Young, the legendary tenor saxaphonist whose career spanned swing and bebop eras.
Series: Humanitas [11/2002] [Humanities] [Show ID: 6893]

[@taisetsusuzuki]

As a freshman, I took "The History of Jazz" with this wonderful professor thinking it would be a bird course. But he put jazz in such a deep sociological context that it started a slow revolution in my way of seeing the world. I ended up majoring in black studies and hosting a jazz radio show. He did me the honor of coming on my show for an interview and to play some of the cuts he liked. I guarantee you this man loves jazz as a robust culture that adds more to his musical appreciation than most of us could understand.

[@lpsling]

Lester's music has been a primary spiritual force in my life. The beauty he played with is spiritual...his beautiful, purely saxophone sound, his melodicism and that floating sense of swing. I can hear the flow of the Mississippi River he grew up near till age 10, in his music, being from New Orleans myself. My ex mother in law dated him in NY. She said he was gentle, elegant and the, perfect gentleman, dusting off chairs with his handkercheif before she sat down. May his music live forever!

[@Servagio]

Being a very passionate Lester Young fan, i have to say: 'Thank you so much for putting this on KZbin!'. IMO Prez is the smoothest, sweetest, flowing-est sax player out there, and i thoroughly listened to and studied them all. His solo on 'The man I love' - Billie H (1937) is my ALL TIME favourite piece of music

[@smikro1]

This video is much longer than what one normally finds on KZbin, but it is well worth watching if you're a fan of Lester Young or, for that matter, of jazz in general. My thanks to Professor Daniels for an informative and entertaining lecture. Ghs

[@lastknowngood0]

Awesome presentation! Kudos Sir!

[@nickpilgrim1966]

Loved the book and love this talk. Thanks for sharing this.

[@ricardofranciszayas]

I thoroughly enjoyed this lecture. Besides Lester Young’s contribution to culture through music, his contributions to American speech are also important. I would have liked a bit more elaboration on Prez speak. Excellent lecture.

[@originalmanmedina4693]

KNEW SOME ABOUT THE PREZ BUT, THIS CAPPED IT OFF. GREAT VIDEO !!

[@yusufmuminali5654]

Awesome lecture !

[@AgaPadar]

Great lecture on my favourite subject.

[@dutchblackgirl6247]

love Lester Young

[@lastknowngood0]

Pres was initially inspired by Frankie Trumbauer (TRAM) & Jimmy Dorsey (Bird was also partially inspired by Dorsey) TRAM Blew a C Melody SAX which is somewhat indicative of Pres's light airy Style! BTW "Prof" was Buster Smith's handle source ( Vid filmed in KC Local 802 HQ The Last of the Blue Devils)! ;-)

[@lastknowngood0]

Rudy vallie also inspired Pres & Bird, I thought.

[@lastknowngood0]

Pres called the smack addicts "needle dancers"!

[@moshepotts]

me three....

[@patoni860]

Mary Lou Williams did not say that. Mary Lou Williams said there's somebody knocked on her bedroom window she looked out it was some trumpet player whose name might have been Rex Stewart... He said they needed her to come down because Lester Herschel Evans we're battling Coleman Hawkins and Coleman Hawkins was sweating and had taken off his shirt and they have wore out three piano players... So come on down cuz you need to see this and they need a piano player. That's what she said. She never said she was there and saw the battle from the beginning... Get your facts straight

[@ecobeattv6246]

I'm sorry he puts down Kansas City as a "Sound". This is where the Spirit was, at the time. The Crucible of Kansas City influenced the musicians - inside and out. 18th and Vine still swings.

[@songanddanceman100]

If i knew little or nothing about Jazz and went to this lecture, I would have walked out. This is DULL.

[@josephhooker3035]

yah i have to agree. Talking about jazz usually doesn't tend to do it much justice. Plus most writers like to think that they know what the artists were thinking when they created. I'd rather hear great stories or anecdotes as opposed to dissected timelines and self righteous opinions. Poor guy.

[@Veaseify]

joseph hooker Its the same with any music, academics and critics try to read far too much into what is essentially just people trying to play what they hear in their head. Especially ridiculous when talking about music that has no lyrics. Watch any documentary about jazz and the disconnect between what writers say and what musicians say is enlightening.

[@jrgreiner]

Well, it's meant to be a lecture........you know, where people actually *learn* things and not a floor show to keep the sheeple awake.

[@skyjuiceification]

Steve Veasey ..that disconnect came from most of those writers being corny white cats,with journalistic skills sets but very little clear vision into the human soul. Nothing more. Meanwhile, their are plenty of writers who saw into its social cultural context.

[@davidbennett2339]

If you knew little or nothing about jazz, and you had the odd desire to attend a scholar's lecture about it--because that's what people do, attend lectures on topics they're not interested in--maybe you might go to an introductory talk. This isn't that. It's a talk where--once he eventually gets into it, because he does start slow--he attempts to cast doubt on a number of parts of the mythology around Lester Young, which is the furthest thing from dull if you know what he's talking about. If you don't know what he's talking about, maybe try something on a more basic level.

[@lesterwyoung]

A "saxAphonist?" Really, University of California!

[@guntherzwahlen3990]

Well if you search some deeper you sure will find another signet that fits worse to the subject . . .

[@patoni860]

You never even said that he was born in Woodville Mississippi... What kind of lecture are you giving?

[@benjaminbookernola]

Think this guy smokes?

[@patoni860]

That's absolutely incorrect... Nobody in New Orleans ever heard the word Jazz until they worked on the riverboats... If you going to tell the story tell it from the beginning quit making up facts... That is totally and absolutely false... None of them ever heard of the word Jazz until they work for the river boats. Get your facts straight... And it's no proof that New Orleans Jazz musicians were in California before 1917... We're jelly roll Morton brought his band out there and told them that they had to get new wardrobe because they have been wearing old timey box back suits... And there are photographs of 1917 where he tells them come out here because you can have a house that got a big yard... Get your facts straight