It does not get better than this, Lester Young, the King Cole Trio and Buddy Rich. Perhaps the greatest tenor saxophonist in history of jazz, the greatest threesome during the 1940's (certainly the greatest edition of the King Cole Trio) and perhaps the greatest drummer in jazz.
Just to provide some historical perspective. This recording was not a commercial recording, therefore there was no conflict with Nat Cole's contract with Capitol Records. This was a Jubilee broadcast over the Armed Forces Radio Service, beamed specifically to African American service members in the Army, Army Air Force (that later become the U. S. Air Force), Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The King Cole Trio and other African-American acts regularly performed on this program.
Thank u. jazz was promoted by the U.S as form of propaganda in europe and around the globe, not that it was important in the government for cultural purpose. It's a shame that jazz was never really given the opportunity such as sport or other kind of "entertainment"
I heard this music when i was a kid. My Dad loved it and also played the sax, clairenet , and harmonica. He really liked Lester Young's style ! Now, I'm 69 and I really like it too !
@Jimi Hendrix Sorry, do you know any saxophonist around the style of Lester now or in recent time? I just started to "new" jazz and was looking this side of the spectrum.
@@lazaroiriondo5487 I would recommend Branford Marsalis and Wayne Shorter. Branford takes a lot of influence from Wayne and Sonny Rollins who were musical descendants of Lester Young themselves, and has also attested to the importance of Lester Young and the musicians of the swing era. Wayne's playing just has Pres all over it. So beautiful.
@Whole Lotta Slatt no one said they were plenty of musicians around...there are tons of artists around.... I don't see anybody reaching this caliber though...
"Tenor chanting" LOL Prez is my favorite! These two tunes are fine examples of how well he was playing after he left the Army, contrary to many who said that the Army experience caused his decline...
Some industry sources said his best years were the mid 50's which would encompass 55 to march 1959.BTW Pres is my Fave Tenor too! Interestingly his inspiration came from Frankie Trumbauer (C-Melody Sax) & Jimmy Dorsey (clarinet & Also Sax)! Reedsville!
While most of us are more familiar with Cole as a pop star he was quite an excellent jazz pianist as his recordings with "Prez" attest along with his touring and recording with "Jazz At The Philharmonic." Whenever a Nat Cole recording from this period was released on a label other than Capital, he was always listed as "Aye Guy."
The jazz world lost nothing. Recordings of his superb piano playing abound. The fact that his voice was so velvety sublime added a new dimension to his legacy, gave him financial security, and made him a household word. Fans exposed to him through “Ramblin’ Rose” etc. might well have become jazz fans through knowing his popular work. Capitol should have let him play more piano on his records, that’s for sure, but it’s all good. What’s bad is that he died at 45 in 1965. Imagine if he had lived another 45 years like his brother Freddy Cole? Think of the music he would have made - playing more piano and singing, without a record company calling the shots!
In the mid 70's I got a Lester solos tape at full & half speed...what an education....he innate sense of melody and rythmn or is that rythmn & melody, informs my always changing appreciation of music to this day....
Nat Cole was a great pianist, pity his voice was such that it made his playing take second chair. He was even voted best piano player by Esquire in '46 and '47. Also amazing is that there are lots of his recordings that have never been released. After sixty years.
SELMER1947 Bonjour , bien sur tout à fait d'accord avec vous mon ami , mais Prez pour moi a été l'aiguilleur du be bop sans le faire exprès , mais j'aime quand même hawkins et n'oublions pas don byas et paul consalves , de toute manière ils ont tous apporté quelque chose , ils sont tous excellentissimes . amitié selmer 1947 . C'est vrai que lester le plaçait tout en haut , mais je pense que c'était réciproque . à plus frère de jazz .
yves-marie corinthio Ah Paul Gonsalves...!!! Et Don Byas...assez oublié lui hélas (à écouter sur YouT, un duo avec Slam Stewart sur I got Rythm ! ) Et Ben Webster alors...putain ce son !! Et tous les oubliés du ténor dont plus personne ne parle : Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb, Jimmy Forrest, Ike Québec, Lucky Thompson.... que de sonorités uniques et inoubliables à une époque d'uniformité sonore de tous les clones de la Julliard School & C°.... et James Carter, prodigieux technicien mais sa pyrotechnie instrumentale me lasse assez vite...Lester, il y a des jours où j'écoute en boucle ses enregistrements magiques avec les Kansas city six & seven et ses 4 chefs-d'oeuvre avec le trio Guarneri, Stewart, Catlett.... A+ l'ami
SELMER1947 il n'y a rien à faire mon frère les anciens nous ont tous appris , lester je l'adore quand il était chez basie entre 1937 et 1939 avec le grand herschel evans oublié lui aussi , mort à 30 ans d'une hémorragie cérébrale , çà a été la grande tristesse de prez d'ailleurs il est parti juste après , j'aime beaucoup charlie rouse également
