Billie Holiday and Lester Young: Fine and Mellow

Billie Holiday and Lester Young: Fine and Mellow

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[MrShemario]

Lester Young and Billie Holiday....This was the first time they saw each other in almost 20 years and also the last. Lester Young was basically dying at the time of this recording and they didn't even speak a word to each other but the mutually admiration is clearly visible. Billie Holiday remarked on the way to his funeral that she would be the next to go and she was dead within 4 months.....

[dasglasperlenspiel10]

There has only been one Lester Young. We're not getting any more, not on this planet.

[antechinus100]

Gerry Mulligan. He was the youngest by far. At the time a great privilege to sit in with those giants, the likes of which will never be seen again. Thankfully we have these clips and records. Billie Holiday died about 2 years after this I believe. All of them long gone.

[DeditQ4]

Ben Webster is there too

[el nauta]

Gerry Mullingan. There were two great musician with this instruments: one of them played with Duke Ellintong, Harry Carney was his name, the other one was Gerry Mulligan.

[Diaporamator]

Barytone is jerry Muligan (not sure of spelling), a giant! Listen to his berny'tune

[vannigio27]

Bravissima e bellissima.

[SahvannaHDee]

whose the baritone?

[Aaron Feldman]

Thanks for your thoughts on this, Jazzmanchgo.

[jazzmanchgo]

Not sure if they ever actually "fell out" or just drifted apart, due to the chaos and complications in both of their lives. If I understand correctly, various writers and commentators through the years have tried to manufacture some great, dramatic "falling-out" between them, but it most likely never happened. (Or maybe neither one could stand to see the other in such torment and self-destruction, so they simply had a parting of the ways . . .)

[jazzmanchgo]

I honestly believe I can hear just a slight catch in Lady's voice after Pres's solo . . . if ever there was a case to be made for "kindred souls" having known each other in a previous life, it was those two . . . Gotta say, though, on purely musical terms, Ben Webster comes close to matching Pres here (and Hawkins & Roy Eldridge ain't too shabby either!) . . .

[Birdman6569]

So sad and beautiful. Can see in their eyes the drug the sadness the love the music almost saving them. God bless them.