Lester Young - Blues for Greasy (1950)

[cameronroytaylor]

Hahahaaaaaha Go Lester Go. :)

[MrLittoral]

Wow, hendrix, ignorance is essentially not knowing something you really should.

[jimihendrix1967]

Dear Ella Fitzgerald play saxophone or something else, so you can't bullshit that beautiful music with your irritating voice.

[jeffsvilleusa]

@glen37 My guess is that they were playing a real take, and then they went in the recording studio for the audio and just played the same solo order and length. I doubt they weren't actually playing in the video.

[fastborzoi]

a pantomime of this great recording is still worth seeing, thanks for posting!

[steelfire22]

Does anyone, (by some chance) know who's playing on the other Tenor in this (the fellow on the right with the final solo)?

[kenjames64]

@steelfire22 That would be Flip Phillips.

[brentifull]

@kenjames64 Flip Phillips, that's just great. Thanks for that, I love him. What tone, are the great 'Pres'

[djjjamin]

Thx loads

[djjjamin]

See here's the thing, this is the only song I've heard lester play on a moderately fast tune. Does anyone know some other fast tracks with Lester?

[josephnathanscott]

"Does anyone know some other fast tracks with Lester?"

"Ding Dong" and "Crazy Over J-Z" are good. Also check out all four opening tracks on his CD _Prez's Hat Vol. 5_, which are from a 1947 concert.

[TheWick53]

I only heard of Lester Young yesterday, Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful genre of sound.

[kenjames64]

@26095 We won World War II because our entire nation and its allies were willing to do WHAVEVER it took to take back Europe from Nazi Germany, and the East from the insanity of Imperial Japan (I'm half Japanese, btw). Jazz is something that makes me proud to be an American, but I'm more proud of my grandfather, who fought on Saipan. No one on Saipan EVER wanted to talk about it. My Japanese side maternal) lived for four years in Manzanar, an internment camp.

[w000t1994]

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat...

[glene37]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned that this is NOT live music, it's guys pantomiming to a pre-recorded track (the instrumental equivalent of lip-syncing). This has been common knowledge for years (except to YouTube contributors and viewers, apparently).

[kenjames64]

@glene37 It's common knowledge that live performances were impossible here for a variety of technical reasons. Anyone who watches Ella scat can tell she's not doing it live. This is still a great document of some of the greatest jazz musicians of the 20th century, all in one room, and there is very little of this material available. (Bird appears in two earlier segments.) The fact that Lester Young is playing against a pre-recorded track maybe diminishes this film a bit, but not much.

[juwan66]

@glene37 then what about the live video of django reinhardt? was he pantomiming as well when he played j'aittendrai swing?

[spoildn8410]

@glene37 I watch modern jazz videos a lot, and I had no idea. This is one I haven't heard yet,

but I don't know how many of the 40's musicians did that.

[sailin1934]

if you really want to hear how great buddy plays, check out the oscar peterson plays basie cd on the norgran lable, buddy plays with best because he was the best,EVER1.

[operafantic]

This is a typical Jazz at the Philharmonic session from the early to mid 1950s, very swinging, a bit generic. Lester Young is my favorite saxophonist but this rather crowded setting wasn't the best way to hear him. Still, nice to have the document.

[kenjames64]

@operafantic I'd rather have similar footage of the mid-30s small-group recordings with Billie and Jo Jones and Teddy Wilson ;)

[pyannaguy]

Man, to hear the rippling melodies these guys could lay over Blues changes - and think that this is from six decades ago. Those lines are like vines with bunches of sweet, dark grapes, here, big lush leaves, there, and then the nice little spaces in other places. Whoa!

And of course, they had their heroes - guys whose shoulders THEY stood on and looked backwards, forwards and all around. I love lots of music, but Jazz comes from the top of the mountain (even when it's down and dirty). Thanks!

[peppersax]

Hank Jones on piano, the great Lester (pork pie) Young on tenor sax, buddy rich on drums, ray brown on bass etc.,

[yuichis3010]

Bill Harris on tb, right? The trumpeter seems tobe Buck Clayton.

[artjacjr]

Please, tell me who all these cat art?

[kenjames64]

@artjacjr read the description...I listed every musician.

[Raniers17]

e che cazzo! buddy suona troppo bene! per non parlare di billie!

[camachonlennon]

estos vatos estan locos hahahha pero estan bien chidos

[bodhimian]

i like flip's energy, get's me goin... a little jump blues at the end =)

[drdo1988]

wow....thats buddy rich on drums, right?

[hugleberthumperdink]

is indeed man. classic

[nurvrax]

@drdo1988

Yes

[nemesis700]

is this bebop?

[kenjames64]

No, not 'bop, but something closer to classic swing.

[rentatrip1]

@nemesis700

THIS IS JAZZ _

JAZZ ... listen ... man you hear that

that is Jazz- not swing -

swing was big band glen miller stuff -

this is Toot Sweet Jazz ...Man ...get it ?

[swinginkatz]

Great.

[avivagabriel]

Awesome footage... One of the best damned jazz videos I've seen! A big "thank you" for posting this!

[Oukae]

ella, you still hold my heart :D

[MrPetepohl1]

THANKS this was really great.....what a LINE UP

[ManagerGuy1]

Wow! The Prez is surrounded by greats! What a find! Thanks for putting this up..Swinging!

[stillavril]

Thanks for this. Great to see.

Shame that Prez is pretty passive here.

[antoniettacuomo]

è stato un vero piacere.

[EwiekeuKlavier]

Listening to Lester Young never gets boring.

[BrunoJazzmanLeicht]

Yep, I agree completely! And it's so great to see and hear him wail here, alongside Pres, Buddy, Bill and the other great fellows. This film was produced by Norman Granz and presents some of his "employees" from JATP. Great!

[julesmonendrumface]

Harry 'Sweets' Edison is one of the best trumpet players .

[lewisldurham]

Nice

[Antarblue]

Prez' is the most! Thanks *****