Customer Reviews

Lester Young with Oscar Peterson Trio

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If you're a fan of Lester Young, you'll like this CD. If you're a fan of Oscar Peterson, you'll like this CD. If you a fan of both Lester and Oscar and a fan of great jazz you have GOT to have this CD.
Lester Young is at his smoothest on this 1952 recording. He seems to caress each note, playing with the patience that personifies great musicians. This is not pleasant background music. It is to be savored and enjoyed -- more so with each playing.
The Oscar Peterson Trio is the perfect compliment to Young. Peterson does not accompany Young so much as blend with him. Indeed they are a great combo and the one downer about this CD is the knowledge that Young and Peterson did not team up for more music.
Ray Brown on bass and J.C. Heard on drums are quite good and Barney Kessel has some inspired moments on guitar.
One of my favorite CDs.

One of the most trite generalizations that you will hear about Lester Young is that he came back from his experience in the army a broken man, and that he never re-gained the glory of his Basie Band days. All I can say to that is that these are the recordings, made in the 50's with the greatest, swingingest Oscar Peterson Trio, that made me fall in love with Lester Young's music. It remains, for me, some of the most important and beautiful jazz ever. By the 1950s, Lester Young had somehow developed a way to express a wide and subtle range of emotions through a unique and highly evolved level of musicianship, that is never cluttered or forced. And amazingly, the text of his swinging sermons come from some of the kitchiest standards in the Jazz canon. Don't be put off by his selection of 'Tea For Two.' As Buck Clayton would say, these guys swing so hard they will swing you into bad health. 'Almost Like Being In Love' is exactly that. Deceptively complex riffs and original melodic improvisation that melted in my heart like an emotional choclate ball. I'm Confessin (That I Love You) will make you forget that Lester is playing the saxophone. You'll think he's whispering the greatest story of un-requited love ever told, directly down your spinal column.

...i've been lissening to jazz now for only about 14 years...i started out by buying what i thought was jazz, groups like najee, gerald albright, david sanborn, etc...; those guys are fine musicians in their own right...but, i've learned that there is a difference, somewhat, between "jazzy instrumentation" and "jazz music" if you are really just beginning to explore the core foundations of jazz and you like artists like miles, coltrane, duke ellington and such, then this cd is an excellent addition...the music here is not the straight ahead and take charge, hard edged jazz that many people find hard to get into, but it is laid-back, very enjoyable and still distinctive enough to please most traditional jazz enthusiasts.
other artists worth exploring are sax player ben webster, trumpet player clifford brown and milt jackson on vibes.
...whether this is your first jazz cd or your one thousand and first, this is a great one to have in your collection.

Just over one year ago, I wanted to expand my musical horizons, so I asked a jazz-loving friend if he could recommend a few CDs. So after talking with him, I ordered 3 - Miles: Kind of Blue, Coltrane: Live at the Village Vanguard, and Lester: Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio. While I certainly love the first two listed, this Lester CD made me fall in love with jazz music. Now I like nothing better than to relax with a drink, dim lights, and listen to my small jazz collection (which is up to about 30 discs so far). I even bought my new amplifier (a Jolida tube amp) with jazz as a primary consideration.

Being a young college student, I still have much to experience in the world of jazz. I'm sure much of it will include enlarging my Lester collection. And perhaps I can even find a future wife who enjoys the music! After all, it does take two to tango.

Like most people in my age category who got into jazz, my first forays were with Miles, Bird, Diz, Trane, and Stan. I was lucky, though, to have an entire jazz record library at my disposal, and even be allowed to play much of it an a "free-form" FM format back in the early 70s. I wore this one out as soon as I read that Stan's main influence was Lester Young. Yes, I eventually found all of Prez' stuff with Billie, the Count, and the small Basie stuff under the "Kansas City Six" heading. I liken a lot of Lester's 50s recordings to those of his musical soul-mate Billie Holiday - they have a quality unlike their early material. It is living and experience that come through. Even though Lester's "chops" may not be as youthful and exuberant as they once were, he still swings better than anyone I've ever heard. "(Back Home Again In) Indiana" is a great example of this. His approach is great, and the phrasing vintage Prez. This is the style that emerged from a master. If you listen to, say, Prez on "Shoe Shine Boy", or "Every Tub" with Basie in the late 30s and compare it to this, you will definately hear the difference. But, you know, it's all still incredible, masterful Lester Young.

I'm by no means a Jazz expert, but I know what I like. I probably have 100 jazz discs or so and this is the one that I keep coming back to. Oscar's piano playing and scatting in Two to Tango is my favorite jazz recording. Lester really shines throughout the whole session. This CD will not disappoint.

This is why Lester Young's name comes up when jazz fans talk. Everybody knows Bird, Coltrane, Rollins... but Lester Young may have been the best. Every time I listen to this CD, I like it even more. Here's a tip. Put this on, along with Sarah Vaughan's self-titled CD (the one with Clifford Brown), turn down the lights, hit "random play" and just let the music take you away.

This recording, made in the years that were allegedly not his very best, demonstrates absolutely that Willis Lester Young is indeed the President of the Saxophone. Young's effortless sweet swing flowing along with Oscar Peterson and highlighted with some great guitar work by Barney Kessel will hook you. A special bonus is the President's humor displayed in his vocalizing on Two to Tango. The re-master quality is excellent. There are lots of players who played more notes and had a "bigger" sound. Young was replaced by Coleman Hawkins in Basie's band partly because Hawkins blew louder. But for making every note count, wonderful melodic invention and great rythmic surprises, for absolute mastery of the horn, Lester Young takes second chair to none. Nearly every tenor player since the 30's has cited Young as an influence. Listen to this CD and you will know why. Buy it today and love it for a very long time.

Being a strong follower of the music of Stan Getz and knowing that Lester Young was his main influence I was interested for some time in acquiring a record of Lester Young. As a result i bought this record recently and after several listenings all I can say is WOW what a surprise. This is wonderful music which grows on you atfer every playing.

This may just be Young's best set. With the great Oscar Peterson backing him up on classic standards, this set is solid: no big bands to get in Young's way. Great sound; good price $$. One caveat: not in jewel box, but one of those paper contraptions--hey, no big deal.