Lester Leaps in: The Life and Times of Lester "Pres" Young. This item is unavailable.Lester Leaps in: The Life and Times of Lester "Pres" Young

The Life and Times of Lester "Pres" Young


The acclaimed biography of the legendary tenor saxophonist


"Lester Leaps In jumps off the page with authenticity and insight. The Prez was an amazing creator with a uniquely wicked sense of humor, and this book captures it all."
—Quincy Jones

"Twenty years in the making, this is the most thorough and penetrating book on the President of the Tenor Saxophone to date."
—Publishers Weekly

"A provocative book, presenting Lester Young in a novel, even controversial light while opening new avenues of possible investigation into one of the most tantalizingly enigmatic of all historic jazz figures."
—Richard Sudhalter, Los Angeles Times

"The lessons learned from Pres' painful life tell us a lot about ourselves and the horrible consequences of racism in America."
—T. Michael Crowell, San Diego Union-Tribune

"Lester Leaps In" jumps of the page with authenticity and insight. The Pres was an amazing creator with a uniquely wicked sense of humor, and this book captures it all." - Quincy Jones, musician and author of "Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones".

"Prez invented cool. Rather than state a melody, he suggested it. He barely breathed into his horn, creating an intimacy that gave me chills."-- B. B. King

"Douglas Henry Daniels definitive biography traces the music Pres played and the world in which it developed. Deep in detail and admiring in tone, "Lester Leaps In" is as much a look at the racism of the mid 20th Century as it is about Young."-- T. Michael Crowell, "The San Diego Union-Tribune"

"Daniels covers it all, from the music to the personal attributes, and he successfully brings the tenor giant back to life."--Steven Loewy, "All Music Guide to Jazz"

"A groundbreaking account of one of the great figures in twentieth-century music and the rich cultural heritage that made a Lester Young and this wonderful art possible."--Robin D. G. Kelley, author of "Freedom Dreams" and "Yo' Mama's Disfunktional!"

"Douglas Daniels has written a provocative book, presenting Lester Young in a novel, even controversial light while opening new avenues of possible investigation into one of the most tantalizingly enigmatic of all historic jazz figures." -Richard M. Sudhalter, "The Los Angeles Times"

Lester Leaps In jumps of the page with authenticity and insight. The Pres was an amazing creator with a uniquely wicked sense of humor, and this book captures it all." - Quincy Jones, musician and author of Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones.
"Prez invented cool. Rather than state a melody, he suggested it. He barely breathed into his horn, creating an intimacy that gave me chills."-- B. B. King
"Douglas Henry Daniels definitive biography traces the music Pres played and the world in which it developed. Deep in detail and admiring in tone, Lester Leaps In is as much a look at the racism of the mid 20th Century as it is about Young."-- T. Michael Crowell, The San Diego Union-Tribune
"Daniels covers it all, from the music to the personal attributes, and he successfully brings the tenor giant back to life."--Steven Loewy, All Music Guide to Jazz
"A groundbreaking account of one of the great figures in twentieth-century music and the rich cultural heritage that made a Lester Young and this wonderful art possible."--Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams and Yo' Mama's Disfunktional!
"Douglas Daniels has written a provocative book, presenting Lester Young in a novel, even controversial light while opening new avenues of possible investigation into one of the most tantalizingly enigmatic of all historic jazz figures." -Richard M. Sudhalter, The Los Angeles Times