Lester Young - The Lester Young Story (2000, 4CD)

Proper, the famous British reissue label, has given the world a series of four-CD "Proper boxes" that contain essential recordings by legendary musicians. Proper's The Lester Young Story is an excellent introduction to this man's phenomenal artistry. Beginning with two instrumentals from his very first recording session on November 9, 1936, Proper skims along the surface of the first 13 years of Lester Young's career, touching upon his adventures with Count Basie, Teddy Wilson, Billie Holiday, Una Mae Carlisle, Sammy Price, the Kansas City Six and Seven, pianist Nat King Cole, and numerous others who collaborated with Pres on records issued under his name. This musical odyssey is a colorful mosaic of historical recordings that originally appeared on the Vocalion, Columbia, Victor, Signature, Keynote, Savoy, Aladdin, and Mercury/Norgran/Verve labels. The survey closes with two extended jams from a Jazz at the Philharmonic concert held at Carnegie Hall on September 17, 1949. Although it stops short of dipping into the best of his later works, Proper's The Lester Young Story may serve both as a superb introduction and a tasty addition to already well-stocked jazz libraries.

Tracks:

CD1
01. Shoe Shine Boy [3:01]
02. Oh, Lady Be Good [3:08]
03. This Year's Kisses [3:08]
04. Easy Living [3:03]
05. Me, Myself and I [2:34]
06. A Sailboat in the Moonlight [2:50]
07. One O'Clock Jump [3:04]
08. When You're Smiling [2:50]
09. Every Tub [3:22]
10. Swinging the Blues [2:44]
11. Doggin' Around [3:04]
12. Jumpin' at the Woodside [3:09]
13. I Can't Get Started [2:49]
14. Way Down Yonder in New Orleans [2:59]
15. Countless Blues [3:01]
16. I Want a Little Girl [2:54]
17. Shorty George [2:49]
18. Pannassie Stomp [2:50]
19. You Can Depend on Me [3:14]
20. Cherokee (Pt. 1 & 2) [6:13]
21. Jive at Five [2:52]
22. Taxi War Dance [2:53]
23. Pound Cake [2:44]
24. Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie [2:29]


CD2
01. Dickie's Dream [3:10]
02. Lester Leaps In [3:17]
03. Tickle Toe [2:42]
04. Ad-Lib Blues [3:22]
05. I Never Knew [3:02]
06. Lester's Dream [3:20]
07. Broadway [2:59]
08. Tickle Toe [5:33]
09. Taxi War Dance [5:27]
10. Blitzkrieg Baby (You Can't Bomb Me) [3:20]
11. Beautiful Eyes [3:03]
12. Things About Coming My Way [3:01]
13. Just Jivin' Around [2:54]
14. All of Me [3:01]
15. I Can't Get Started [4:53]
16. Tea for Two [4:47]
17. Body and Soul [5:09]
18. Hello Babe [3:12]
19. Just You, Just Me [3:07]
20. Afternoon of a Basie-Ite [3:06]


CD3
01. Sometimes I'm Happy [3:08]
02. After Theatre Jump [4:51]
03. Six Cats and a Prince [5:23]
04. Lester Leaps Again [4:27]
05. Destination K.C. [4:51]
06. I Got Rhythm [3:20]
07. Poor Little Plaything [2:56]
08. Exercise in Swing [3:01]
09. Salute to Fats [3:21]
10. Blue Lester (Lester's Blues) [3:27]
11. Ghost of a Chance [3:24]
12. Jump, Lester Jump [3:22]
13. Midnight Symphony [3:01]
14. D.B. Blues [3:02]
15. Lester Blows Again [2:34]
16. These Foolish Things [3:13]
17. Jumpin' at Mesner's [2:47]
18. Back to the Land [3:54]
19. I Cover the Waterfront [3:55]
20. I've Found a New Baby [4:07]
21. I Want to Be Happy [3:59]


CD4
01. It's Only a Paper Moon [3:09]
02. Lover Come Back to Me [2:39]
03. You're Driving Me Crazy [3:08]
04. Lester's Be-Bop Boogie [3:16]
05. She's Funny That Way [3:21]
06. Sunday [2:26]
07. S.M. Blues [3:06]
08. Jumpin' with Symphony Sid [3:14]
09. On the Sunny Side of the Street [3:01]
10. Sax-O-Be-Bop [3:02]
11. Just Cooling [3:01]
12. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) [2:33]
13. East of the Sun [3:12]
14. The Sheik of Araby [2:33]
15. Something to Remember You By [2:47]
16. Ding Dong [2:30]
17. Blues 'n' Bells [2:27]
18. Lester Leaps In [12:15]
19. Embraceable You [10:35]

Personnel:

Lester Young - tenor saxophone
Billie Holiday, Jimmy Rushing, Una Mae Carlisle - vocals
Earl Warren, Charlie Parker - alto saxophone
Herschel Evans, Chu Berry, Buddy Tate - tenor saxophone
Buck Clayton, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Roy Eldridge, Shad Collins - trumpet
Dickie Wells, Benny Morton, Vic Dickenson - trombone
Benny Goodman - clarinet
Count Basie, Teddy Wilson, Nat "King" Cole, Johnny Guarnieri, Dodo Marmarosa - piano
Charlie Christian, Freddy Greene - guitar
Walter Page, Slam Stewart - bass
Buddy Rich, Jo Jones, Sid Catlett - drums