Spotify, the software, allows you to stream any music you can think of, in a matter of seconds. I spend alot of time reading bios, and listening to new music on there. The other day was Fats Waller day. I also checked other stride pianists such as Art Tatum and Erroll Garner. I came to the conclusion that it's better to play with your heart and make the music mean something, than to play a billion notes as fast as you can. (Tatum vs Fats, Robert Wells vs Charlie Norman, for example). Don't get me wrong, some of these are excellent tehnicians, and play very well. The music just doesn't touch me.
Today I've read up on Lester Young and listened to loads of his works. He was apparently nicknamed "Prez" by Billie Holiday who was a close friend of his. He has a soft tone (but in the later recordings it got rougher, perhaps due to his heavy drinking.
Speaking of which, I think I'll have a nightcap.
Now spinning: Body and Soul (Lester Young)
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