VA - Membran Music's Jazz Ballads Series Vol. 1-5 (10 CD, 2004) [FLAC+320]

 A CD sets with the most beautiful ballads in the history of jazz.

Lyrical, imaginative, sensuous and melodic jewels from the art of music.

Precisely for those people who have maintained their taste for lasting musical values.

Jazz in its most gentle form.

Irrestible...

Jazz Ballads 1: Chet Baker & Gerry Mulligan
Jazz Ballads 2: Ben Webster
Jazz Ballads 3: Lester Young
Jazz Ballads 4: Clifford Brown & Sonny Rollins
Jazz Ballads 5: Don Byas

Lester Young - In Washington D.C., 1956 Vol. 1 - 5 (5 CD, 1998/FLAC)

 On the 3rd. December 1956 Lester Young started a six night residency at Olivia Davis`s Patio Lounge in Washington DC, accompanied by the Bill Potts Trio. Fortunately, Potts recorded the proceedings, which were released in 1980 by Norman Grantz`s Pablo label. 

Verve Jazz Masters series Vol. 21-30

 

 Jazz Masters is a series of mainly single artist compilations released by Polygram/Verve between 1994 and 1996. The compilations collect material that was originally released on Verve or on one of the labels that became part of the Polygram group. The 20th and 60th releases in the series were various artist collections.

VJM 21 - George Benson

VJM 22 - Billy Eckstine

VJM 23 - Gil Evans

VJM 24 - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong

VJM 25 - Stan Getz & Dizzy Gillespie

VJM 26 - Lionel Hampton & Oscar Peterson

VJM 27 - Roland Kirk

VJM 28 - Charlie Parker Plays Standards

VJM 29 - Jimmy Smith

VJM 30 - Lester Young

 

Lester Young - The Complete Lester Young Studio Sessions on Verve (8 CD, 1999/FLAC)

 All too often, jazz critics have promoted the myth that Lester Young's playing went way downhill after World War II -- that the seminal tenor man was so emotionally wounded by the racism he suffered in the military in 1944-1945 that he could no longer play as well as he had in the '30s and early '40s. To be sure, Young went through hell in the military, and his painful experiences took their toll in the form of alcohol abuse, severe depression, and various health problems. But despite Young's mental decline, he was still a fantastic soloist. This eight-CD set, which gathers most of the studio recordings that he made for Norman Granz's Clef, Norgran, and Verve labels from 1946-1959, underscores the fact that much of his postwar output was superb. At its worst, this collection is at least decent, but the Pres truly excels on sessions with Nat "King" Cole and Buddy Rich in 1946, Oscar Peterson and Barney Kessel in 1952, Roy Eldridge and Teddy Wilson in 1956, and Harry "Sweets" Edison in 1957. Disc 8 contains two recorded interviews with the saxman -- one conducted by Chris Albertson in 1958 for WCAU radio in Philadelphia, the other by French jazz enthusiast Francois Postif in Paris on February 6, 1959 (only five or six weeks before Young's death on March 15 of that year). The contrast between the fascinating interviews is striking; in Philly, Young is polite and soft-spoken, whereas in Paris, the effects of the alcohol are hard to miss. Sounding intoxicated and using profanity liberally, Young candidly tells Postif about everything from his experiences with racism to his associations with Billie Holiday and Count Basie. But as much as the set has going for it, The Complete Lester Young Studio Sessions on Verve isn't for novices, casual listeners, or those who are budget-minded. Collectors are the ones who will find this CD to be a musical feast. 

Lester Young - Portrait [10 CD, 2001/FLAC]

 10 CD box from Past Perfect

Count Basie & Lester Young - Classic 1936-1947 Studio Sessions [6 CD, 2016]

When Count Basie first recorded in Chicago in 1936, nothing like them had been heard before. It was the sound that launched the swing era, and, through Basie’s star saxophonist Lester Young, later inspired modernism. This excellent 8 CD collection takes us from the Basie Band’s springy first recordings through to Young mixing it with the modernists. In between a well-chosen blend of the rare and well-known captures Basie in his prime, Young going solo at his languorous peak and a new generation on the make. 

Lester Young - Complete Studio Sessions On Verve (1946-1959) [8 CD, 1999]

With his airy, vibratoless tone and sophisticated harmonic imagination, Lester Young (1909-59) was arguably the most influential tenor saxophonist after Coleman Hawkins. As the star in Count Basie's big band and Billie Holiday's favorite soloist, Young's breezy solos, along with his patented porkpie hat and unique hipster jargon, affected legions of musicians.

This 8-CD compilation marks the 90th anniversary of Young's birth and contains all of the recordings he made for producer Norman Granz from 1946 to 1959, the last 13 years of Young's life.