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Editorial Reviews

This recorded centennial celebration of Lester Young includes previously issued music recorded a handful of years before his death in 1959. They include live recordings from Washington D.C.'s Patio Lounge, produced by pianist Bill Potts, whose trio provided the backup band, and Jazz at the Philharmonic jam session from Frankfurt, Germany and Hartford, CN. Young is cooler than ever, even nonchalant at times, eschewing precision and perfection for further refinements of his tone, gracious phrasings, and high standing as the most elegant of swing-to-bop tenor saxophonists. The club dates (including some dismissible but ultimately annoying crowd chatter) are culled from five different volumes of recordings, seven tracks representing a good cross section of what Potts and Young were able to produce in their short stint together. Young's devil-may-care attitude translates into a purposeful, Swiss cheese version of "Jumpin' with Symphony Sid," he easily slides through the simple swingers "Tea for Two," "I'm Confessin'," or "Just You, Just Me," and sweetly sighs during "I Can't Get Started." The most animated, hard bop-style track "Pennies from Heaven" sounds like he is playing the melody sideways, much as he held his horn, while "Oh, Lady Be Good" is more of a bop jam, with trombonist Earl Swope joining Potts, bassist Norman Williams, and drummer Jim Lucht. The German JATP session yields "Undecided" -- a famed version with a full-blown combo, and the collective skill of drummer Max Roach, bassist Ray Brown, pianist Hank Jones, trumpeter Roy Eldridge, and tenor men Young and Flip Phillips, all well beyond reproach. Young teams in Connecticut with the classic Oscar Peterson/Herb Ellis/Ray Brown group for the final two selections; the slowed, distant, but extremely confident take of "I Cover the Waterfront," and the rip-roaring "Lester Leaps In" with an absolutely inspired rhythmic propulsion from drummer J.C. Heard firing up the whole band. Though this kind of sampler leaves fans and newcomers wanting more, and this is only representative of the last days of Lester Young, it's a good reminder of why he was -- and remains -- one of the first and truly original, unquestionable giants of jazz. Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide

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