Lester Young (1909-1959) was one of the great jazz masters, whose tenor saxophone playing brought new levels of expressiveness and subtlety to the jazz language. Many of his recordings - with Billie Holiday, as a member of Count Basie's band, and under his own name - are numbered among the finest examples of the art. A complicated, vulnerable, gentle man, Lester (dubbed 'The President', by Billie Holiday; later shortened to 'Prez') was brought up in his father's travelling carnival band. His early career was spent in the ...
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Lester Young (1909-1959) was one of the great jazz masters, whose tenor saxophone playing brought new levels of expressiveness and subtlety to the jazz language. Many of his recordings - with Billie Holiday, as a member of Count Basie's band, and under his own name - are numbered among the finest examples of the art. A complicated, vulnerable, gentle man, Lester (dubbed 'The President', by Billie Holiday; later shortened to 'Prez') was brought up in his father's travelling carnival band. His early career was spent in the nightclubs and dancehalls of Kansas City and the South-West and he made his recording debut at the peak of the Swing Era. At the height of his powers, he was drafted into the US Army, where racism and his own unworldliness landed him in a military prison. Thereafter, he became withdrawn and suspicious, and, as his music grew darker, seemed to lose the will to live. The book follows Lester Young through his life in a rapidly changing world, showing how the music of this exceptionally sensitive man was affected by his experiences. The author, a musician himself, examines many of Lester's classic recordings in illuminating but non-technical detail.
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Add this copy of Being Prez: the Life and Music of Lester Young to cart. $9.51, good condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Oxford University Press.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Gently used with minimal wear on the corners and cover. A few pages may contain light highlighting or writing but the text remains fully legible. Dust jacket may be missing and supplemental materials like CDs or codes may not be included. May be ex-library with library markings. Ships promptly!
Add this copy of Being Prez: the Life and Music of Lester Young to cart. $16.00, very good condition, Sold by Second Chance Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Independence, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Oxford University Press.
Add this copy of Being Prez: the Life and Music of Lester Young to cart. $17.50, very good condition, Sold by A Cappella Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Atlanta, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Oxford University Press, USA.
Add this copy of Being Prez: the Life and Music of Lester Young to cart. $19.45, like new condition, Sold by Sequitur Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Boonsboro, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Oxford University Press.
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Seller's Description:
Like New. Size: 9x6x0; Hardcover and dust jacket. Good binding and cover. Light wear. Small tear to jacket. Clean, unmarked pages. "Lester Young was one of the great jazz masters, and his impact on the course of the art form was profound. He fundamentally changed the way the saxophone was played-his long, flowing lines brought new levels of expressiveness and subtlety to the jazz language, setting the standard for all modern players. In Being Prez, renowned British critic Dave Gelly follows Lester Young through his life in a rapidly changing world, showing how the music of this exceptionally sensitive man was shaped by his experiences. The reader meets a complicated, vulnerable, gentle individual who was brought up in his father's traveling carnival band. His early career was spent in the nightclubs and dancehalls of Kansas City and the Southwest, and he made his landmark recording debut at the peak of the Swing Era."
Add this copy of Being Prez: the Life and Music of Lester Young to cart. $19.95, very good condition, Sold by Peninsula Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Traverse City, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Oxford University Press.
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Seller's Description:
Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. 0195334779. British jazz critic Dave Gelly examines Lester Young's life and music and also his impact on the shape of jazz as we have come to know it. Contains an index, source notes, and a selected discography in the rear. Remainder marks to the lower edge, else this is a nice clean, tight and unmarked book with no interior or exterior markings, no previous owner names and no bookplates. The dust jacket in similarly nice condition with no chips, tears, or markings.; B&W Photographs; 8vo, 8"-9" tall; 171 pages.
