Lester Young, Roy Eldridge and Harry “Sweets” Edison • Laughin’ To Keep From Cryin’

JAZZ CLASSIC OF THE MONTH

Lester Young (1909-59) was one of the most important saxophonists in jazz history. His cool-toned sound and floating style were major factors in 1950s “cool jazz,” giving tenor-saxophonists an alternative to the harder tone and harmonically complex playing of Coleman Hawkins. Ironically, just when his influence was at its peak and he was making good money from producer Norman Granz’s projects, Young’s depression and alcoholism made his playing erratic and hurt his health.

Despite that, most of his recordings from the 1950s are quite worthy. Laughin’ To Keep From Cryin’ was recorded on Feb. 6, 1958, just 13 months before his passing. For this set, Young is joined by a fine rhythm section and two great swing trumpeters (Roy Eldridge and Harry “Sweets” Edison) who are often muted, wanting to complement rather than overshadow Young. They perform a ballad medley, two basic originals, and a few standards.

For the first time in over 15 years, Lester Young plays clarinet on “Salute To Benny” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” The latter is given a very touching, melancholy and heart wrenching statement by Young, making it one of the recorded highpoints from his later years.

Lester Young, Roy Eldridge and Harry “Sweets” Edison • Laughin’ To Keep From Cryin’
Laughin’ To Keep From Cryin’
Verve 547087

Scott Yanow

Since 1975 Scott Yanow has been a regular reviewer of albums in many jazz styles. He has written for many jazz and arts magazines, including JazzTimes, Jazziz, Down Beat, Cadence, CODA, and the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, and was the jazz editor for Record Review. He has written an in-depth biography on Dizzy Gillespie for AllMusic.com. He has authored 11 books on jazz, over 900 liner notes for CDs and over 20,000 reviews of jazz recordings. Yanow was a contributor to and co-editor of the third edition of the All Music Guide to Jazz. He continues to write for Downbeat, Jazziz, the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, the Jazz Rag, the New York City Jazz Record and other publications.