Vital Vinyl Series 180g Vinyl LP Reissue!

Verve and Impulse! Records launch the new Vital Vinyl series with UMe, celebrating essential jazz LPs from the enduring catalogues of the two iconic labels. Throughout 2019, Verve and Impulse! will be making no fewer than 40 key albums from the 1950s, '60s and '70s available again on 180-gram vinyl. Each will feature their original cover artwork, track listings and liner notes. Some of these albums will become available for the first time in years, while others that are already in print will now be perennially available.

On this wonderfully swinging yet totally relaxed 1952 session, Lester 'Prez' Young lends genial virtuosity to both standard and blues themes; latching on to the harmonies of the Oscar Peterson Trio with immeasurable creativity. The topping on the cake, however, is definitely his long improvisations on blues-based numbers (which were recorded without a time limit), such as the free "Ad Lib Blues" and standards from the American Songbook. His dry though mature renderings of "Tea For Two" and "Almost Like Being In Love" - free of unnecessary ballast, relaxed and without vibrato - have lost nothing of their fascination over the years. Given musicians of this stature around him, President Lester (a title granted him by Billie Holiday) finds full rein for expression, and shows even the most casual listener why he remained in office for so many terms.

Musicians:
Lester Young, tenor saxophone
Oscar Peterson, piano
Barney Kessel, guitar
Ray Brown, bass
J.C. Heard, drums