Lester Young - Teddy Wilson Quartet - Pres and Teddy

2008 reissue of this album, voted one of the 100 best Jazz albums of all time. This reissue contains the complete original 1956 album reuniting Lester with his old musical companions Teddy Wilson, Gene Ramey and Jo Jones and one of the last really swinging albums by Lester, who would die in 1958. As a bonus, two more quartet sessions by Lester. Recorded in 1951, they also feature Ramey and Jones, with John Lewis replacing Wilson on piano. 19 tracks. Lonehill Jazz. Album Description

Melodious and awesome

This is a great album with some of my favourite performances of all time: "All of me" and "Love me or leave me". Teddy's piano playing matches Lester style amazingly well. April 21, 2008

Simply the Best

Indeed, this is Young at his best; in his later years he may have been less consistent than in his youth, but when he was good, boy was he good or what?
Did Teddy Wilson help make this album a masterpiece? Oh, I believe he did - since he didn't change his style very much, since he wasn't flamboyant or selfdestructive and since he lived and played consistently for very long, Mr. Wilson is not appreciated enough, but he is, I believe, the essence of swing and one of the best jazz pianist ever.
Compute for your self - his work in Benny Goodman trio and quartet is more than brilliant (check the great Carnegie Hall concert), sessions he arranged with Billie Holiday and a veritable who-is-who in jazz of the 30's (Roy Eldridge, Lester Young, Benny Goodman, Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges...)are irreplacible, whereas his work with the Pres in the 50's proves how swing was still alive and kicking at the time.

Young and Wilson share the spotlight for me on this album, but it would be a shame not to mention great bass player Gene Ramey and the great (if not the greatest) swing drummer Jo Jones who knew Pres very well from their Basie years...
"All of me" is my favorite, but "Louise" and other performances are equally beautiful... September 18, 2006

Proving Once Again Pres Was Still On Top

There is a common misconception that's been going around jazz circles for a long time now that when Pres got out of the army in the mid forties that his playing went drastically downhill and that few of his recordings after that time are worth acquiring. That is a complete crock and this album (recorded in 1956) proves it along with many other albums like "Jazz Giants '56", "With The Oscar Peterson Trio". and "Pres and Sweets" just to name a few. There are no bad songs on this album. Every song is wonderful, although "All of Me" and "Pres Returns" and "Prisoner of Love" (what soul he really puts into that one!) are probably my favorites. Take my word for it and get this album. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. July 11, 2006

Young got top billing but check out Teddy Wilson's playing

Lester Young was a figure of legend for me, but not a breathing presence in any of the music I spend time with now. His work with Billie Holiday was familiar, but though her voice may be timeless, the orchestrations are very much of that time.

I bought this on the recommendation of another Amazon reviewer who thought Young was in top form and felt this CD was essential. He was wrong about Young but right about the CD, and at $5.99 you should buy it, for this quartet is a beautiful thing when they click.

As for Young, he's amazing about half the time. Teddy Wilson is amazing ALL THE TIME and his trio, including Gene Ramey and Jo Jones, had a good thing going. Wilson swings and inspires Young to his best work since 1952, and probably his last really meaningful recording.

As a historical note; Young had been hospitalized to clean up from drugs and alcohol in 1956 and he had a small resurgence in his playing in the aftermath of his hospital stay. That's wonderfully evident in 4 of these 7 tracks. On them you can hear the sound that influenced so many tenor players and easily holds up with the best of what you'd hear now. Really.

Unfortunately, Young's renaissance was short lived and that's also evident on two or three tracks where Young slides into the notes and slurs them, is sluggish in his timing and his playing sounds more drunk than high. Wilson and company are such pros that even Young's wayward solos don't slow them down or dampen their apparent enthusiasm.

This isn't just another "historic" recording for the serious jazz historian/collector. This are high-spirited and often thrilling recordings, notably on All of Me and Louise.




March 10, 2006

TOP OF HIS GAME

This is a classic session and highlights once again that Lester Young could still produce the goods almost right up to his death as stated below by previous reviewers.

Here the great tenor displays some great emotional intensity with a strong swing which became more evident in his latter records. Stand outs are "All of Me" and "Prisoner of Love". A true gem! July 27, 2005

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