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Lester Young - Boston 1950 (2013)

Posted By: DjangoTiger
Lester Young - Boston 1950 (2013)

Lester Young - Boston 1950
MP3 CBR 320 kbps | 16 Tracks | 1:04:08 | 144 MB | Year: 1950/1953; release: 2013
Genre: Jazz | Label: Uptown Jazz

Uptown's 2013 release Boston 1950 features highlights from a series of concerts the great tenor saxophonist Lester Young gave at Boston's Hi-Hat between May 26 and June 11, 1950. He was performing with trumpeter Jesse Drakes, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Joe Schulman, and drummer Connie Kay. Lester was at one of his peaks during the late '40s and early '50s and these performances have an appealing blend of lively jump and warmth, qualities that are apparent even underneath the somewhat thin audio quality. Listen beyond those compressed sonics and you'll find thoroughly enjoyable, big-hearted hard bop that's something of a joy to hear. The CD concludes with two tracks from a 1953 date at the Hi-Hat where Young was playing once again with Kay and Drakes but pianist Horace Silver and bassist Franklin Skeete rounded out the band. (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide)

Uptown Records has recently come out with LESTER YOUNG -BOSTON 1950, a full CD of music recorded by Pres live at the Hi-Hat in Boston. Not one tune has been previously issued (these sessions aren't even listed on discographies!!) and most of them (14 out of the 16 tracks on the disc) were recorded in 1950, a good year for the saxophonist, who was still in full control of his talents and hadn't yet fell into the solo routines that characterized most of his last years (he would die in 1959).
The present broadcasts present him in a quintet format with his usual partner trumpeter Jesse Drakes, brilliant pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Joe Schulman, and Modern Jazz Quartet drummer Connie Kay.
Among the many highlights here are versions of tunes Young rarely recorded, such as "She's Funny That Way", "Body and Soul", and "You Can Depend on Me", plus his only known reading of Frank Loesser's "On a Slow Boat to China"!!
The last two tunes find Pres again at the Hi-Hat but three years later, in 1953, again with Drakes on trumpet and Connie Kay on drums, but with Horace Silver at the piano.
Given the broadcast nature of the performances, some tunes are incomplete, but sound quality is very good all throughout, and the musical quality is outstanding. (Jazz Messengers Web Store).

Tracklist:

01 - Jumpin' With Symphony Sid [Fragment With Allison Introductions] (Lester Young) 1:12
02 - Too Marvelous For Words (Richard Whiting, Johnny Mercer) 5:53
03 - She's Funny That Way (Richard Whiting, Charles Daniels) 3:09
04 - You Can Depend On Me (Earl Hines, Louis Dunlap, Charles Carpenter) 6:19
05 - How High The Moon [Incomplete] (Nancy Hamilton, William Lewis) 2:01
06 - The Talk Of The Toen (Jerry Livingston, Al Neiburg, Marty Symes) 3:43
07 - On A Slow Boat To China (Frank Loesser) 5:03
08 - Indiana (James Hanley, Ballard McDonald) 4:10
09 - Jumpin' With Symphoni Sid [Fragment] 0:15
10 - Jumpin' With Symphoni Sid [Fragment] 0:51
11 - Sunday (Chester Conn, Bennie Krueger, Ned Miller, Jule Styne) 5:24
12 - Body And Soul (Johnny Green. Edward Heyman, Robert Sour) 3:38
13 - Four Flats Unfurnished (Lester Young) 5:08
14 - Jeepers Creepers (Harry Warren, Johnny Mercer) 4:10
15 - Up 'N' Adam (Lester Young) 7:20
16 - Blue And Sentimental [Incomplete] (Count Basie, Mack David, Jerry Livingston) 5:42

Personnel:

Jesse Drakes (trumpet),
Lester Young (tenor sax),
Kenny Drew (piano),
Horace Silver (piano, tracks 15 & 16),
Joe Schulman (bass),
Franklin Skeete (bass, tracks 15 & 16),
Connie Kay (drums),
Steve Allison (announcer),
"Symphony Sid" Torin (announcer, tracks 15 & 16).

Lester Young - Boston 1950 (2013)