Not a Repeater Pencil - Lester Young

Blue Lester by Lester Young (Savoy, compilation, 1958)

As mentioned in a previous post, I have been immersed in the world of Charlie Parker, which led me to the magic created by Lester Young. I feel the warmth of his tenor saxophone as if he’s crooning into it like a microphone. Parker takes a melody and explores every angle of that piece of sculpture, but Lester embraces a melody as if it’s a glue holding onto fleeting reality. His playing is relaxed and seductive, and he plays his instrument as if whispering thoughts in your ear.

Ghost of a Chance is the perfect instrumentation of Lester’s sax, with a strumming guitar and piano answering back gently to the saxophone, as in hearing a person’s sad story of a romance gone sour. In our modern times, I can imagine the Prez (Lester’s nickname) backing Bryan Ferry or somehow being part of his orchestra because, like that brilliant singer, he can bring pathos onto an aural landscape that is sad but moving. Of course, Lester is famous for backing Billie Holiday, in which he responds to her voice as a velvet cape covering her bare shoulders.

Blue Lester is my introduction to his music, and I think over time, I will locate all of his recordings because it’s a sound that compliments my everyday mood of borderline disappointment with the expectations from a beautiful day. He not only covers the waterfront but also from the West to the East and North to South. All directions led to Lester Young. And a repeater pencil, he ain’t. That was his term for one who repeats themselves, but Lester can find different routes to a melody, but with more heart and instinct.