Lester Young
Tenor Sax Solo on
Pennies From Heaven

About

Lester Young's tenor saxophone solo is the fourth and final solo on "Pennies from Heaven" from the 1955 Pres & Sweets session. Young returns to take one chorus over the 32-bar ABAC form in B-flat at approximately 178 BPM, bookending the performance by soloing both first and last. The slight tempo reduction from the opening suggests the natural ebb of energy in an extended performance, and Young's closing statement brings the track full circle with a final display of his lyrical melodic sensibility. The bookend structure places Young as the alpha and omega of the arrangement.

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