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Lester Young, tenor saxophone; Teddy Wilson, piano; Roy Eldridge, trumpet; Vic Dickenson, trombone; Gene Ramey, bass; Freddie Green, guitar; Jo Jones, drums. This Year’s Kisses. Prez, Teddy, Roy, Vic, Gene, Freddy, Jo. “This Year’s Kisses” from Jazz Giants ‘56.
…just because he’s one of the greats and maybe one of the somewhat forgotten early major players…and that’s good enough for me. A fine selection. Thanks.
I’ve owned Jazz Giants ’56 since the LP was first issued and this session remains one of my all-time favorites to this day…I still listen to it frequently.
On the advice of a knowledgeable friend, I got the vinyl version when it was reissued in about 1978. I’m with you, Don Glander; “This Year’s Kisses” is a very moving performance. In Young’s hands, you can appreciate what a beautiful melody it is.
Well, it’s not Billie and Lester, but in its own way it’s just as satisfying, particularly Lester’s second chorus, which is soulful and delightful.
Thanks for posting an excellent Lester Young performance. While many do not consider it a high point of his career, I have always enjoyed his Verve recordings from the 1950s. The performance prompted me to go back and watch the film of Billie Holiday singing “Fine and Mellow” on The Sound of Jazz broadcast in 1957. In an interview for the Ken Burns documentary on jazz, Nat Hentoff called Young’s brief solo during the performance “the purest blues I have ever heard.”
Let’s all see it again.