Lester Young
Tenor Sax Solo on
Takes Two To Tango

About

Lester Young's tenor saxophone solo is the sole improvisation on this medium-tempo rendition of Al Hoffman and Dick Manning's "(It Takes) Two to Tango" from The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio. Young takes a half-chorus over the 32-bar AABA form in F at 105 BPM, applying his jazz sensibility to this popular novelty song from 1952. The tune was a contemporary hit at the time of this recording session, and Young's treatment transforms it from novelty material into a vehicle for genuine jazz improvisation, demonstrating his ability to find musical substance in any melodic material.

Lester Young was 42 to 43 years old at the time.