Defying what has become conventional wisdom, tenor saxophonist Lester Young (when he was reasonably healthy) actually cut some of his greatest recordings in the 1950s. On this wonderful effort with pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer J.C. Heard, Prez performs definitive versions of "Just You, Just Me" and "Tea for Two," and plays a string of concise but memorable ballad renditions: "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "Almost Like Being in Love," "I Can't Give You Anything but Love," "There Will Never Be Another You," and "I'm Confessin'." The 1997 CD reissue augments the original dozen songs with a version of the good-humored "It Takes Two to Tango" (which features Young's only recorded vocals) and has a rather unnecessary false start ("I Can't Get Started"), along with some studio chatter. Essential music. (by Scott Yanow)
Lester Young, 1946
Personnel:
Ray Brown (bass)
J.C. Heard (drums)
Barney Kessel (guitar)
Oscar Peterson (piano)
Lester Young (saxophone, vocals on 13.)
Alternate frontcover
Tracklist:
01. Ad Lib Blues (Peterson/Young) 5.54
02. I Can't Get Started (Duke/Gershwin) 3.41
03. Just You, Just Me (Greer/Klages) 7.40
04. Almost Like Being in Love (Lerner/Loewe)
05. Tea For Two (Caesar/Youmans) 7.45
06. There Will Never Be Another You (Gordon/Warren) 3.28
07. (Back Home Again In) Indiana (Hanley/MacDonald) 7.04
08. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Fields/McHugh) 3.27
09. Stardust (Carmichael/Parish) 3.35
10. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) (Daugherty/Neiburg/Reynolds) 3.41
11. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Fields/McHugh) 3.22
12. These Foolish Things (Link/Marvell/Strachey) 3.27
+
13. (It Takes) Two To Tango: Rehearsal, False Start and Chatter + master take (Hoffman/Manning) 6.06
14. I Can't Get Started (false start) (Duke/Gershwin) 0.53
ARMU 2414 (zippyshare)