Search
Related artists
Erroll Garner | Dexter Gordon | Oscar Peterson | Coleman Hawkins | John Coltrane Quartet | Oscar Peterson Trio | Ben Webster | Red Garland | Teddy Wilson | Bob Brookmeyer | Zoot Sims | Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra | Johnny HodgesFeatures on
#1 in Jazz 1936 | #1 in Jazz 1953 | #2 in All Genres 1936 | #2 in All Genres 1953 | #2 in Jazz 1937Explore
Random artist →Genres and decades →
Through the years →
Scenes →
Movements →
Rivalries →
Breakups →
Labels →
Studios →
Alternative artwork →
User artistagraphs →
Do more
Build your own artistagraphsCompare artists
Lester Young
Lester Young
Woodville, USjazz
1.2bn all-time streams (10 Feb '26)
Lester Young was one of the true jazz giants, a tenor saxophonist who came up with a completely different conception in which to play his horn, floating over bar lines with a light tone rather than adopting Coleman Hawkins' then-dominant forceful approach.
A non-conformist, Young (nicknamed "Pres" by Billie Holiday) had the ironic experience in the 1950s of hearing many young tenors try to sound exactly like him.
A non-conformist, Young (nicknamed "Pres" by Billie Holiday) had the ironic experience in the 1950s of hearing many young tenors try to sound exactly like him.
