Lester Young

Born: 1909-08-27 in Woodville, Mississippi, U.S.

Died: 1959-03-15

Known For: Acting

Biography

Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), 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".

Filmography

2004

Improvisation as Self

2001

Jazz as Self (archive footage)

1986

'Round Midnight ... (In Memory Of)

1950

Improvisation as Self

1944

Jammin' the Blues as Self - on Tenor Sax

1938

Policy Man as Himself