Pres and Teddy
Encyclopedia
Pres and Teddy is a 1956 jazz
album by The Lester Young
and Teddy Wilson
Quartet. Originally released by Verve
, it has subsequently been reissued on CD by Verve, Universal Japan
and Lonehill Jazz.
Recording a January, 1956 reunion session between Young and Wilson, the album includes six standard swing jazz songs with one original composition, "Pres Returns." In spite of Young's failing health, the album is critically acclaimed as among the best of his later works as well as being among the best albums produced by Verve Record's founder Norman Granz
.
characterized by jazz commentator Scott Yanow
as "one of the giants of Jazz history", and Teddy Wilson, "the definitive swing pianist". Recorded on January 13, 1956, the quartet also featured Jo Jones
, an innovative and influential jazz drummer
, and bassist
Gene Ramey
. The group had also played together the previous day along with Roy Eldridge
, Vic Dickenson
and Freddie Green
, recording the similarly acclaimed The Jazz Giants '56
.
Wilson was in 1956 steadily producing both solo and group albums, having only recently stopped teaching music at Juilliard. Young, although also working steadily, was suffering a rapid deterioration of his health. Though Young had established a strong early presence in jazz prior to being drafted into World War II
in 1945, his experiences during the war left him an alcoholic so unapproachable that he invented his own language to better control who would be permitted to communicate with him. But while Young's playing throughout the 50s was often hampered by his excessive drinking,
on this occasion, according to Yanow, he returned to "classic form". After these sessions, Young continued to decline, drinking himself to death three years later, at the age of 49.
listed the album as among 10 of the "high points" of music produced by Norman Granz, who founded the Verve label, describing it as "a magnificent set of standards". While Yanow recommends the comprehensive box set The Complete Lester Young Studio Sessions on Verve for all of Young's later work, he recommends this album along with The Jazz Giants '56 and Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio
for more casual listeners seeking Young's best later work.
In his profile of the album for Allmusic, Yanow notes that, "[W]hen 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," concluding that on Pres and Teddy Young was in "particularly expressive form".
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
album by The Lester Young
Lester Young
Lester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
and Teddy Wilson
Teddy Wilson
Theodore Shaw "Teddy" Wilson was an American jazz pianist whose sophisticated and elegant style was featured on the records of many of the biggest names in jazz, including Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.-Biography:Wilson was born in Austin, Texas in...
Quartet. Originally released by Verve
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
, it has subsequently been reissued on CD by Verve, Universal Japan
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
and Lonehill Jazz.
Recording a January, 1956 reunion session between Young and Wilson, the album includes six standard swing jazz songs with one original composition, "Pres Returns." In spite of Young's failing health, the album is critically acclaimed as among the best of his later works as well as being among the best albums produced by Verve Record's founder Norman Granz
Norman Granz
Norman Granz was an American jazz music impresario and producer.Granz was a fundamental figure in American jazz, especially from about 1947 to 1960...
.
Background
Pres and Teddy is one of several late 1950s reunions between Lester Young, a tenor saxophonistTenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
characterized by jazz commentator Scott Yanow
Scott Yanow
Scott Yanow is an American jazz commentator, known for many contributions to the Allmusic website, for writing ten books on jazz and for reviewing jazz recordings for over 30 years.-Biography:...
as "one of the giants of Jazz history", and Teddy Wilson, "the definitive swing pianist". Recorded on January 13, 1956, the quartet also featured Jo Jones
Jo Jones
Jo Jones was an American jazz drummer.Known as Papa Jo Jones in his later years, he was sometimes confused with another influential jazz drummer, Philly Joe Jones...
, an innovative and influential jazz drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, and bassist
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
Gene Ramey
Gene Ramey
Gene Ramey was an American jazz double bassist.Ramey was born in Austin, Texas, and played trumpet in college, but switched to sousaphone when playing with George Corley's Royal Aces, The Moonlight Serenaders, and Terrence Holder. In 1932 he moved to Kansas City and took up the bass, studying with...
. The group had also played together the previous day along with Roy Eldridge
Roy Eldridge
Roy David Eldridge , nicknamed "Little Jazz" was an American jazz trumpet player. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos and his strong influence on Dizzy Gillespie mark him as one of the most exciting musicians of the swing era and a...
, Vic Dickenson
Vic Dickenson
Vic Dickenson was an African-American jazz trombonist. Dickenson's career started out in the 1920s and led him through musical partnerships with such legends as Count Basie , Sidney Bechet and Earl Hines...
and Freddie Green
Freddie Green
Frederick William "Freddie" Green was an American swing jazz guitarist. He was especially noted for his sophisticated rhythm guitar in big band settings, particularly for the Count Basie orchestra, where he was part of the "All-American Rhythm Section" with Basie on piano, Jo Jones on drums, and...
, recording the similarly acclaimed The Jazz Giants '56
The Jazz Giants '56
-Track Listing :# I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan -# I Didn't Know What Time It Was -# "Gigantic Blues" -# "This Years Kisses" -# "You Can Depend On Me" --Personnel :* Lester Young -saxophone* Roy Eldridge -trumpet...
.
Wilson was in 1956 steadily producing both solo and group albums, having only recently stopped teaching music at Juilliard. Young, although also working steadily, was suffering a rapid deterioration of his health. Though Young had established a strong early presence in jazz prior to being drafted into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1945, his experiences during the war left him an alcoholic so unapproachable that he invented his own language to better control who would be permitted to communicate with him. But while Young's playing throughout the 50s was often hampered by his excessive drinking,
on this occasion, according to Yanow, he returned to "classic form". After these sessions, Young continued to decline, drinking himself to death three years later, at the age of 49.
Critical reception
In 1994, The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
listed the album as among 10 of the "high points" of music produced by Norman Granz, who founded the Verve label, describing it as "a magnificent set of standards". While Yanow recommends the comprehensive box set The Complete Lester Young Studio Sessions on Verve for all of Young's later work, he recommends this album along with The Jazz Giants '56 and Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio
Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio
Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio is a 1952 studio album by Lester Young, accompanied by the Oscar Peterson Quartet, although the title incorrectly states the band as a trio. The music on this album was originally released as three albums in 1952, on Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson...
for more casual listeners seeking Young's best later work.
In his profile of the album for Allmusic, Yanow notes that, "[W]hen 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," concluding that on Pres and Teddy Young was in "particularly expressive form".
Track listing
- "All of MeAll of Me (song)"All of Me" is a popular song and jazz standard written by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons in 1931.First performed by Belle Baker over the radio and recorded in December 1931 by Ruth Etting, it has become one of the most recorded songs of its era, with notable versions by Russ Columbo, Bing Crosby,...
" (Gerald MarksGerald MarksGerald Marks , was an American composer best known for the song "All of Me" which he co-wrote with Seymour Simons and has been recorded about 2,000 times...
, Seymour SimonsSeymour SimonsSeymour Simons, was an American Pianist, Composer, Orchestra Leader, and Radio Producer.Simons returned to Detroit after service in World War I and built a reputation as a pianist and songwriter, providing material for stage stars Nora Bayes and Elsie Janis...
) – 5:07 - "Prisoner of LovePrisoner of Love (1931 song)"Prisoner Of Love" is a 1931 popular song with music by Russ Columbo and Clarence Gaskill and lyrics by Leo Robin. The song was popularized by Columbo and later became a major hit for Perry Como. It was also recorded by Billy Eckstine.-Perry Como versions:...
" (Russ ColumboRuss ColumboRuggiero Eugenio di Rodolpho Colombo , known as Russ Columbo, was an American singer, violinist and actor, most famous for his signature tune, "You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love", his compositions "Prisoner of Love" and "Too Beautiful For Words", and the legend surrounding his early...
, Clarence Gaskill, Leo RobinLeo RobinLeo Robin was an American composer, lyricist and songwriter. He is probably best known for collaborating with Ralph Rainger on the 1938 Oscar-winning song "Thanks for the Memory," sung by Bob Hope in the film The Big Broadcast of 1938.-Biography:Robin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and...
) – 7:36 - "Louise" (Robin, Richard Whiting) – 5:14
- "Love Me or Leave MeLove Me or Leave Me (song)"Love Me or Leave Me" is a U.S. popular song from the 1920s.The music was written by Walter Donaldson and the lyrics by Gus Kahn. The song was introduced in the Broadway play, Whoopee!, which opened in December 1928...
" (Walter DonaldsonWalter DonaldsonWalter Donaldson was a prolific United States popular songwriter, composing many hit songs of the 1910s and 1920s.-History:...
, Gus KahnGus KahnGustav Gerson Kahn was a musician, songwriter and lyricist.-Biography:Kahn was born in Koblenz, Germany in 1886. The family emigrated from there to the United States and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1890...
) – 6:47 - "Taking a Chance on LoveTaking a Chance on Love"Taking a Chance on Love" is a popular song by Vernon Duke with lyrics by John Latouche and Ted Fetter, published in 1940 , which has become a standard recorded by many artists. It was introduced in the 1940 show Cabin in the Sky, a ground-breaking Broadway musical with an all black cast, where it...
" (Vernon DukeVernon DukeVernon Duke was a Russian-American composer/songwriter, who also wrote under his original name Vladimir Dukelsky. He is best known for "Taking a Chance on Love" with lyrics by Ted Fetter and John Latouche, "I Can't Get Started" with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, "April in Paris" with lyrics by E. Y...
, Ted FetterTed FetterTheodore "Ted" Fetter was a Broadway lyricist who contributed material to such revues as "The Show Is On" and "Billy Rose's Aquacade" , but is best remembered for co-writing the song "Taking a Chance on Love," introduced in the 1940 musical comedy Cabin in the Sky.Fetter started as an actor,...
, John Latouche) – 5:07 - "Love is Here to Stay" (George GershwinGeorge GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, Ira GershwinIra GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
) – 6:26 - "Pres Returns" (Lester YoungLester YoungLester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
) – 6:17
Personnel
- Dennis Drake – digital remasteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Donald Elfman – CD Preparation
- Norman GranzNorman GranzNorman Granz was an American jazz music impresario and producer.Granz was a fundamental figure in American jazz, especially from about 1947 to 1960...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Ellie Hughes – graphic designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
- Tom Hughes – design
- Jo JonesJo JonesJo Jones was an American jazz drummer.Known as Papa Jo Jones in his later years, he was sometimes confused with another influential jazz drummer, Philly Joe Jones...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Herman Leonard – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Gene RameyGene RameyGene Ramey was an American jazz double bassist.Ramey was born in Austin, Texas, and played trumpet in college, but switched to sousaphone when playing with George Corley's Royal Aces, The Moonlight Serenaders, and Terrence Holder. In 1932 he moved to Kansas City and took up the bass, studying with...
– bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Richard Seidel – CD Preparation
- Bill Simon – liner notesLiner notesLiner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
- Teddy WilsonTeddy WilsonTheodore Shaw "Teddy" Wilson was an American jazz pianist whose sophisticated and elegant style was featured on the records of many of the biggest names in jazz, including Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.-Biography:Wilson was born in Austin, Texas in...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, performer - Lester YoungLester YoungLester Willis Young , nicknamed "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. He also played trumpet, violin, and drums....
– sax (tenor)Tenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
External links
- At Verve Music, with samples