27/08/2026
✨ Happy Birthday Lester Young! ✨
Lester Willis Young was born on 27 August 1909. He was an American composer and leading jazz tenor saxophonist of the 20th century.
Nicknamed ‘Prez’ by his good friend Billie Holiday, Lester Young was a rhythmic genius who reached jazz stardom in the 1940’s after playing with Count Basie and other leading musicians such as Benny Moten and Fletcher Henderson.
With the rare gift of being able to play a melody after hearing it once or twice, Lester Young could effortlessly perform his parts without learning to read music. Known for his smooth ‘singing’ sound and a preference to float lazily behind the beat, he was a master of melodic phrasing.
With a pioneering light, relaxed approach and carefully chosen notes, Lester Young replaced the heavy, aggressive style of his era with a signature slow vibrato that changed the sound of the tenor saxophone and revolutionised jazz in the process.
Fun fact: Not only an iconic figure in music, Lester Young made his mark in fashion too. A standard item in his slick and varied wardrobe was his wide, black, low crowned Pork Pie Hats, which he made himself by converting ordinary wide brimmed hats and is credited by many jazz musicians as originating.
Image: Portrait of Lester Young, Famous Door, New York, N.Y., ca. Sept. 1946 by William P. Gottlieb
