Biography
Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez" (short for the "President of the tenor saxophone"), was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional 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 what one critic called "a free-floating style, wheeling and diving like a gull, banking with low, funky riffs that pleased dancers and listeners alike". Known for his hip, introverted style, he invented or popularized much of the hipster jargon which came to be associated with the music.
Bio from Wikipedia
Discography
Records they worked on — most-collected first.
Night Train
1963
Jumpin' Jive
1981
Virtuoso
1974
The Atomic Mr. Basie
1958
Blowin' The Blues Away
1959
Back On The Block
1989
The Smithsonian Collection Of Classic Jazz
1973
The Great Blues Men
1972
The Drum Battle - Gene Krupa And Buddy Rich At JATP
1960
Trouser Jazz
2002
The Blue Yusef Lateef
1968
The Sound Of Jazz
1958
The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert - Volume I
1950
The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert
1950
Farmers Market Barbecue
1982
K.B.Blues = K・B・ブルース
1979
Bird And Pres: The '46 Concerts
1977
...The Way It Was!
1972
(Turn It Over)
1970
The Best Of Count Basie
1963
Surf Ride
1957
Pres & Sweets
1956
The President Plays With The Oscar Peterson Trio
1956
Lady Day
1954
Credited work
4,590 releases · 955 albums · active 1950–2026
- Performance · 8,860
- Other credits · 294
Studios: Carnegie Hall · Newport Jazz Festival · Philharmonic Auditorium · Basing Street Studios