Hail and Farewell Lester Young

Lester Young’s Centennial « Jazziz Magazine

Jazziz writes:

Lester Young’s Centennial

Were Lester Young still alive today, he would be a couple weeks short of his 100th birthday. As it is, the trailblazing tenorman died just over 50 years ago, in March 1959. Still, the very fact that the saxophonist would’ve turned 100 on August 27 was reason enough for the Concord Music Group to spotlight Young in the latest installment of its Centennial Celebration Series.

[A personal note: I am an indefatigable and obsessive saxophonist, who first took up the instrument at age 9 in 1959--just as Lester Young was checking out. This fact is meaningless, but of interest to me, as I love Lester above all other saxophonists. Hail and farewell, genius: we still hear you, and are trying to catch up. --TRH]

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Attempt to Break Saxophone Record: and I Don't Mean Coltrane's "Ascension"

The Shuffle Demons, famous for a brassy mid-eighties pop song called 'Spadina Bus', are up to some Canada Day shenanigans this week as part of the Toronto Jazz Festival.

The band is celebrating their 25th anniversary, a remarkable milestone considering the transient nature of the Canadian music industry. This Wednesday they are attempting to break a Guinness World Record for the largest saxophone ensemble...ever.

Our fair city held the previous record in 2004 (also orchestrated by the Shuffle Demons) but it was broken by a group of Taiwanese sax players last year.

The Demons', headed by frontman Richard Underhill, will be leading approximately 950 sax players in a five-minute version of 'Oh Canada'. Hosted at Nathan Phillips Square, this brazen concert will be among the largest, and definitely jazziest, Canada Day celebrations in the country.

link: The Shuffle Demons: Saxophone World Record Attempt

{Note from TRH: this makes me very, very happy to contemplate.}