Lester Young Tenor Saxophonist Count Basie Orchestra

Lester Young is a legendary name in the annals of jazz music history. As a musician he was a target of critics because his style was different than that of Coleman Hawkins. Hawkins had set the bar for tenor sax players beginning in the 1920s. Young, nicknamed Prez, was a shy man who became burdened by alcohol and drug problems. Whether he was an addict is debatable. He was also deeply hurt by Jim Crow laws and the humiliation that went with them. Lester reached his peak playing with the Count Basie Orchestra. He quit the Basie band on several occasions and was welcomed back each time.