Lester Young on Tonight Show?

[Randy Twizzle]

I've seen this Jan 2, 1957 TV listing in at least 2 different newspapers.

Does anyone know if this appearance actually took place and has it ever appeared anywhere on film?

[ghost of miles]

Yanow's JAZZ ON FILM seems to allude to it, but goes on to say what I've read/heard elsewhere: that most of the early Tonight Show performances are lost:

Jazz on Film

[AllenLowe]

from what Steve Allen said, NBC destroyed most of them -

[BruceH]

Thanks a lot, NBC.

[AllenLowe]

yes, they were about as forward looking as the Bush administration and the SEC regulators -

[zen archer]

This and other lost recordings can be found in The akashic records.

[Chalupa]

akashic records.

Great label. They are releasing the 1961 Coltrane/Dolphy/Wes Montgomery Monterey performance too.

[Hot Ptah]

I read an interview in the newspaper with Jack Paar, in which he said that he had kept the film of the early Tonight Shows for years, but threw it all out before home video became popular. He expressed regret that he had thrown it all out.

[Teasing the Korean]

The first few years of the Johnny Carson era, up until about 1970 or 71, are lost also. Carson reportedly went through the roof when he found out they were gone; he'd assumed they'd all been archived.

When we perfect space travel at warp speeds, of course, we'll be able to go faster than broadcast waves and caprture lost shows from out in space when they arrive.

Edited December 18, 2008 by Teasing the Korean

[mikelz777]

yes, they were about as forward looking as the Bush administration and the SEC regulators -

A new low! Only 5 posts in and thread about NBC programming/archiving scores a tie-in with the Bush administration.

[Bright Moments]

akashic records.

Great label. They are releasing the 1961 Coltrane/Dolphy/Wes Montgomery Monterey performance too.

this is a joke right? (very cerebral!)

[AllenLowe]

not funny to the Bush administration -

[flat5]

Akashic Records - Trane, Dolphy, Wes at Monterey 1961

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akashic_records

I hear Down Beat gave it 2 1/2 stars. You could dance to it.

Edited December 19, 2008 by flat5