Blue Monday

Lester Young (who was born on August 27, 1909) may be the only jazz musician who is arguably better known for a jazz tune about him — “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” composed by Charles Mingus in response to Young’s death in March 1959 — than for his own music. There’s a surprising amount of Pres available on YouTube, including this lovely interchange with Billie Holiday, this jam session recorded in 1944 (presumably filmed before Young was inducted into the Army, a nightmarish experience that all but ruined his life) and this featured spot during a 1939 performance with the Count Basie Orchestra. And, because there can never be too much Mingus music, here’s my favorite version of “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat,” played by bass master Dave Holland.