Pres Teddy

Description

Although it has been written much too often that Lester Young declined rapidly from the mid-40s on, the truth is that when he was healthy, Young played at his very best during the 50s, adding an emotional intensity to his sound that had not been present during the more carefree days of the 30s. This classic session, a reunion with pianist Teddy Wilson and drummer Jo Jones (bassist Gene Ramey completes the quartet), finds the great tenor in particularly expressive form. His rendition of Prisoner of Love is quite haunting, the version of All of Me is also memorable, and all of the swing standards (which are joined by his original Pres Returns) are well worth hearing.