Lester Young

Who was Lester Young?

Lester Willis Young, nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and sometime clarinetist.

Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most influential players on his instrument. In contrast to many of his hard-driving peers, Young played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated harmonies, using "a free-floating style, wheeling and diving like a gull, banking with low, funky riffs that pleased dancers and listeners alike".

Famous for his hip, introverted style, he invented or popularized much of the hipster jargon which came to be associated with the music.