Lester Young
Tenor Sax Solo on
Red Boy Blues

About

Lester Young's tenor saxophone solo is the third and final solo on "Red Boy Blues," his own original composition from the 1955 Pres & Sweets session. Young takes two choruses of blues in F at 118 BPM, closing the solo section on a tune he composed. Young's blues playing is among the most distinctive in jazz—his floating, behind-the-beat phrasing and cool, airy tone transform the simple 12-bar framework into something deeply personal. As the composer taking the final solo, Young's statement serves as the definitive word on his own blues.

Lester Young was 45 to 46 years old at the time.