Cool, Bebop, Straight Ahead or Fusion: The Jazz Thread

Lester Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist.

Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most influential players on his instrument. In contrast to many of his hard-driving peers, Young played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated harmonies, using what one critic called "a free-floating style, wheeling and diving like a gull, banking with low, funky riffs that pleased dancers and listeners alike."

Known for his hip, introverted style, he invented or popularized much of the hipster jargon which came to be associated with the music.

Lester Young and his pork pie hats. Reminds me I need to revisit hard bop again. Gotta be in the mood for it though, to fully digest it. Thankfully, the thread title mentions "cool" jazz as well and lemme tell you:

There's no one cooler than Lonnie Fucking Liston Smith:

 
RIP Chick Corea!

Speaking of piano players from The Miles Davis Experience, always loved Herbie Hancock's playing on this alternate take:

 
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Roy Haynes & Booker Ervin Quartet [1963] - Dorian



Booker Ervin (tenor sax)
Ronnie Mathews (piano)
Larry Ridley (bass)
Roy Haynes (drums)
 
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Sydney Bechet [1952] - Si Tu Vois Ma Mere



Sidney Bechet was born in 1897 in New Orleans. He grew up there learning the music of that city, and its rich Jazz. Soon he was traveling the world playing in bands (and met and performed with Louis Armstrong). But his personality let him down. He was violent and mean, and found himself arrested a couple of times. He finally called it quits from the U.S., and well into his 50s, he moved to Paris. There he found a home and recorded many tributes to that city.

Si tu vois ma mère‘ (if you see my mother) is one of a number of French tunes recorded by Bechet in his later years. His own composition, it was first released in 1952. He had much bigger hits with his French titles – ‘Petite Fleur‘, ‘Dans les rues d’Antibes‘ and ‘Les Oignons‘.
 
Sam Rivers [1964] - Beatrice



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Sam Rivers: ts
Jaki Byard: p
Ron Carter: b
Tony Williams: d
 
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Miles Davis Sextet [1958] - On Green Dolphin Street



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Miles Davis – trumpet
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley – alto saxophone
John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
Bill Evans – piano
Paul Chambers – bass
Jimmy Cobb – drums
 
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