Lester Young question

[mikeweil]

Hi all,

has there ever been a box set covering all the December 1956 recordings of Lester Young at Olivia Davis's Patio Lounge, Washington, D.C, or do I have to go for all the individual OJC CDs`? Below is the cover of the first in the series.

Edited April 21, 2023 by mikeweil

[jazzbo]

To my knowledge they have never been collected in a box set. Of course as soon as you buy all the volumes individually. . .

[Peter Friedman]

As far as I know, there has not been a box set of the Lester Young 1956 recordings in Washington,D.C 

[John L]

I certainly do not recall a box set, and I have followed most Lester Young releases closely since the 1970s.  

 

[Brad]

Never seen or heard of one. 

[John L]

These are not among my favorite Lester Young recordings.   The music is certainly good.  Pres is in good physical shape and the sound quality is excellent.  However, for me, most of them don't have the sparkle and moments of bliss present in many of Lester Young's other recordings from 1956, in particular those with Teddy Wilson on Verve, live in Europe, and live at the Cafe Bohemia.  

[Gheorghe]

Lester Young is a very very important for-runner of the Jazz of the 40´s and 50´s and I have a Musidisc LP from the Roost that sounds astonishing "boppish". 

I saw or read about some of that Lester Young discoveries , but was a bit afraid to buy it, since I often had the bad luck that I bought a latterday performance of a living legend, when they traveled as a single with local rhythm sections, and I miss something. 

This happened when I bought some Bird in Boston from 1954 or so. As in Lester´s case a very very late recording, but I spinned it only one time. I didn´t get from the rhythm section what maybe would have done John Lewis, Percy Heath and Art Taylor or in that manner.

I would have liked to hear a 50´s Lester Young record with let´s say the Red Garland Trio, or the Wynton Kelly Trio, or somehow like that....... 

[mikeweil]

On 4/20/2023 at 5:15 AM, John L said:

These are not among my favorite Lester Young recordings.   The music is certainly good.  Pres is in good physical shape and the sound quality is excellent.  However, for me, most of them don't have the sparkle and moments of bliss present in many of Lester Young's other recordings from 1956, in particular those with Teddy Wilson on Verve, live in Europe, and live at the Cafe Bohemia.  

I once had a copy of the first volume on LP, but sold it later as I thought the same as you. But reading Ted Gioa's blog post made me want to reconsider my judgement. I ordered a Storyville compilation including a few of these tracks to find out.

https://tedgioia.substack.com/p/my-favorite-jazz-holiday-story-lester

Edited April 21, 2023 by mikeweil

[John L]

47 minutes ago, mikeweil said:

I once had a copy of the first volume on LP, but sold it later as I thought the same as you. But reading Ted Gioa's blog post made me want to reconsider my judgement. I ordered a Storyville compilation including a few of these tracks to find out.

https://tedgioia.substack.com/p/my-favorite-jazz-holiday-story-lester

That is an interesting article.  I like most of what Ted Gioia writes.  Others have also lavished praise on these recordings.  I still listen to them every now and again hoping to catch something that I missed.  The music is certainly good and enjoyable.   But Lester Young's last great album?   I beg to differ.  I wouldn't give up one of Pres' solos on The Jazz Giants from the same year for all five of these volumes. 

[Dan Gould]

1 hour ago, mikeweil said:

I once had a copy of the first volume on LP, but sold it later as I thought the same as you. But reading Ted Gioa's blog post made me want to reconsider my judgement. I ordered a Storyville compilation including a few of these tracks to find out.

https://tedgioia.substack.com/p/my-favorite-jazz-holiday-story-lester

thanks for that link, I don't think of these as fantastic Pres but I am certainly interested in the story behind the gig and recordings.

[mjzee]

I enjoy all 5 volumes.