Leadership topic - Lester Young

“The Prez” – Lester Young is my choice for Presidents Day. Another pioneer and foundational piece of what jazz and popular music would become, he leveraged a very different approach to Power. In fact, his phrasing and use of space and “not” playing were picked up by the great Billie Holiday who became his partner through most of his life. The tunes they crafted effortlessly seemed a great contrast to Power that Big Band and BeBob were similarly blasting out. Their arc would end in 1959 in New York City both dying within 2 months of each other.

He was over 6 feet tall, piercing green eyes, with light complexion and very small feet – size 7. Adding to this striking look, he had settled into playing the Tenor sax as his primary instrument, but holding it always at a jaunty angle across his body. The main approach to most jazz music had started with the Power of Louis Armstrong, and picked up pace with Benny Goodman, and now with the Sax it was dominated by Coleman Hawkins. Music was dense and “full”, particularly of Powerful notes played fast…

..Lester had heard something different, started by Bix Beiderbecke and then picked up by the C-melody tenor sax of Frank Trumbauer. A much more melodic approach using fewer notes sprinkled in only as needed – allowing others to fill in beneath and around it, and to allow the listener to anticipate what they wanted to hear. John Hammond got this new sound onto his label. The same producer who brought us Benny ensured that many would start to hear what eventually would be labeled as a different branch of Jazz, and a different approach to Power, the leadership topic that accompanies The Prez.