Search - Lester Young :: In Washington 4

Oooooh what a marvel !!!!

JEAN-MARIE JUIF | BESANCON France | 01/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Blessed be the guys who were intelligent enough to record Pres' performances in Washington,December 1956,at Olivia Davis' Patio Lounge,where he played for a week.Beginning on December 3,this six nights long gig gives us the opportunity,through five CDs,to listen to some very great works by Pres.Backed by a trio of young white musicians (all in their mid-twenties),including pianist Bill Potts,who was responsible for some arrangements in Charlie Parker's magic album,"one night in Washington",first issued on Elektra Musician and now,at last, reissued by Blue Note.
1956 was a beautiful year for Pres' lovers.He recorded two outstanding albums for Norman Granz,"Pres and Teddy" and "The jazz giants".And the year ended with this six nights gig .Ok,I know,Pres was ending his life (he died on March 1959,aged 49),he was tired,tired of racism,tired of the world he lived in without understanding it,tired of too much alcohol and drugs,tired of dreaming of impossible things;he couldn't blow anymore like he did,15 years before,when he blew behind Billie's choruses;and so what ? His playing is allways as incredible,as magnificent as ever.The greatest jazz poet feels free to blow on his favorite tunes, and he does it amazingly.I could have started to review one of the four other CDs,but I choose this one,just because of the repertoire: I LOVE to hear Pres blow "it's the talk of the town","Pennies from heaven","I cover the waterfront" and "I'm confessin'".His great "D.B.blues" is here too (D.B. for detention barracks,remembering a surrealistic moment in Young's life;during his military service,he happened to be in jail in these detention barracks,while Jo Jones was ...the jail's watchman!!!
Of course,if you don't know these performances,which seem to me like being indispensable in Pres' carreer,you can choose to start with this volume as well as with any other.They all are essential.And I'm sure that,even if the sound quality isn't as good as a studio session,you'll treasure the five volumes.I miss the fifth one,but it will soon be repeared,it's ordered now.The booklets have wonderful pictures of Pres;the cover picture of volume 1 is one of the best pictures I've ever seen of him."