Lester Young and Harry "Sweets" Edison - The Excellence Series: Pres & Sweets (Digital Remaster) (2024)

This 1955 session could really be termed a reunion date. The tenor saxophonist and trumpeter had worked together in the Count Basie Orchestra – Harry Edison for 17 years and Lester Young for seven of those. Together again, these two jazz giants revive the musical rapport they first developed in the Basie band. Young and Edison’s approach on this session reflects their tenure with Basie; for example, it was common for Young to solo followed directly by Edison in the Basie days, and they follow that same plan here.
The two horn players perform a swinging, rousing version of the Count’s legendary “One O’Clock Jump,” which features superb solos by pianist Oscar Peterson and drummer Buddy Rich, both legends in their own right. Other highlights on Pres & Sweets include the subtle “Pennies from Heaven” and the lovely ballad, “It’s the Talk of the Town,” the latter of which displays Herb Ellis’ delicate guitar stylings and Pres’ beautiful light and airy tone.