Lester Young

Jazz Is: 26 – Happy Birthday, Stan Getz

February 2, 2011

Today is the birthday of Stan Getz, great saxophonist of the lineage of Lester Young and known as “the sound” for that sweet and mellow tone, gone now nearly twenty years. Here he plays “Out of Nowhere”  in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1960, with Jan Johansson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on [...]

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Jazz Is: 13 – Charles Mingus

October 6, 2010

“Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” (Theme for Lester Young) From the album Mingus Ah Um, an elegy for Lester Young, who died two months before the recording session. This performance is from the 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival, with Charles Mingus, band leader and bass; Don Pullen, piano; George Adams, tenor saxophone; Gerry Mulligan, baritone saxophone; Benny [...]

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Jazz Is: 3 – Jammin’ the Blues

May 26, 2010

I’m repeating this “Jazz Is” entry from “How We Lived on It” (2), but it is so exceptional, no collection of jazz riches should be without it. The better quality of the two full-length versions available at Daily Motion is ad defaced, while the other has very poor video quality, and Mili’s filmmaking is too [...]

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How We Lived on It (2)

September 12, 2009

from Jammin’ the Blues Directed by Gjon Mili Sax: Lester Young & Illinois Jacquet Trumpet: Harry “Sweets” Edison Piano: Marlowe Morris Drums: Philly Joe Jones & “Big Sid” Catlett Guitar: Barney Kessell Bass: Red Callender Dancers: Lindy Hop legends Archie Savage and Marie Bryant Full ten minute short film available at Daily Motion. Share Tweet [...]

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