Young, Lester Willis, known as Prez 1909-59
US tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinettist

Born in Woodville, Mississippi, he first played alto saxophone in a family band, but changed to tenor saxophone in 1927 and worked with a succession of bands in the Mid-West, including Walter Page's Blue Devils and Eddie Barefield's Band. He joined the newly-formed Count Basie Orchestra in 1934 for a spell, rejoining it in 1936. The band's rise to national prominence in the late 1930s brought Young recognition as an innovative soloist, whose light tone and easy articulation marked a break from the baroque swing-style saxophone and inspired such modernists as Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon. Around this time, Young accompanied singer Billie Holiday on several important recording sessions. After 1940, Young led small bands and freelanced, rejoining Basie in 1943 for a year. During the 1950s, his dependence on alcohol became marked, and his later performances diminished in creative power.