[78-L] Happy 100th, Prez!

[Cary Ginell]

Guess this calls for a Lester Young story. Terry Gibbs told me this story, which is in the book we wrote on Terry's life:

 

"Zoot Sims knew every chorus Lester Young ever played. He and Prez and I would go to the same dressing room and while Zoot was warming up, he'd play all of Prez's solos from all of the old Count Basie records like "Taxi War Dance" and "Lester Leaps In." He knew every one of them. Whilehe was playing them, Prez would sit back in his chair with a smile on his face, nod his head and say, "That's right, Lady Sims. That's right, Miss Zoot." He called everybody "Lady" or "Miss."

 

"He also had his own way of saying things. Until you were around him for a while, you weren't sure what he was talking about. When Prez, Sweets Edison, and Papa Jo Jones got together, NOBODY would know what they were talking about. I was on stage playing a ballad and Prez was on the side of the stage listening to me. While I was playing, he yelled out to me, "Lady Gibbs, take another helping!" meaning that he wanted me to play another chorus. It made sense to me."

 

Cary Ginell


 
> From: uncledavelewis at hotmail.com
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:22:02 +0000
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Happy 100th, Prez!
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Cary! I greatly enjoyed reading that, though I do take issue with what I feel is the fact that there was far greater variety of tone among sax players, even before the advent of Coleman Hawkins, than Dave Gelly suggests. His description of a "low mooing noise" fits some Rudy Wiedoeft and Nathan Glantz jams, perhaps: I couldn't tell you what a "rubbery belch" sounds like, and I'm sure I've never heard it.
> 
> 
> 
> Otherwise, it was a great tribute piece.
> 
> Uncle Dave Lewis uncledavelewis at hotmail.com
> 
> 
> 
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