While it's best to check out
Lester Young's prime late-'40s recordings first, this edition of Verve's
Compact Jazz series does provide a sampling of those stellar sides, plus some often inconsistent latter-day work from the '50s. Of particular interest are the sessions
Young cut with
Nat King Cole ("I Want to Be Happy"),
Hank Jones ("Up 'n' Adam"), and
John Lewis ("September in the Rain"), which find the tenor innovator waxing svelte and lithe on a rich store of ballads and swing-issue romps. The later material with
Oscar Peterson and
Teddy Wilson, while good, is noticeably lacking in light of the prime stuff. Still, this budget sampler is a good way for newcomers to get familiar with one of true giants of jazz. ~ Stephen Cook