Lester Young The Sweet Jazz Saxophonist

Lester Young: The “Sweet” Jazz Saxophonist Influential jazz tenor saxophonist, Lester Young led a revolution that changed the way the saxophone is played until this very day. He Inspired through his bright and airy tunes that sharply contrasted the loud and boisterous sounds of his counterparts (Pener 121). Young was known for many of his groundbreaking tunes such as “All of Me”, and “Lester Leaps In”. As a result of his very different approach to playing the tenor saxophone, he influenced many future musicians including Charlie Parker and Sonny Rollins. Lester Young greatly impacted the jazz world through not only his music, but his persona, resulting in: amazing compositions alongside Billie Holiday, and a wealth of musicians whose playing
The reason why he may have been so influential is because of the way he played so differently from anyone else of his time. Coleman Hawkins played loud and in your face, while Lester played sweet sounding clear notes. Although many band leaders tried to make Lester Young play in a more Coleman Hawkins-esque manner, he always stayed true to himself and played music that he enjoyed throughout his entire career.
Lester Young's very different approach made an impact on a number of things in jazz. One way he influenced jazz was that he increased the range of the tenor saxophone for future musicians to emulate. Another reason Lester had such a profound impact was the flexibility of his sound. The flexibility, referring to the ability of his sound to be altered to suit multiple needs, allowed for artists across numerous genres and times could pull from his influence (Vitale). Additionally, Lester Pioneered the concept of saxophones accompanying vocalists, a model that is still heard to this very day by pop
His eccentric vocabulary, which only his closest friends could decipher, included nicknaming most of the musicians he played with including; Lady Day, and Sweets. Lester Young's’ cool guy attitude and hipster tendencies inspired musicians and non musicians alike to try to emulate his interesting personality setting the tone for what a jazz musician is supposed to act like.Another eccentricity of Lester Young’s was that, “Rather than holding his saxophone vertically, he held it high and to the right at a 45-degree