Contrary to oft-dismissive historical accounts by harsh critics, legendary and influential saxophone innovator Lester Young (aka Pres, Prez, or The President) made some fine recordings in the 1950s despite his health challenges. One of his last albums, from 1958 (about a year before his death), finds the sensitive reedsman at his subtle, bluesy best: Laughin’ to Keep from Cryin’.
Recently reissued by Universal Music as part of its acclaimed Verve/Acoustic Sounds series, the resulting edition of Laughin’ to Keep from Cryin’ is exemplary. An all-analog master, the 180-gram vinyl features lacquers cut by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, a part of Quality Record Pressing (QRP) in Kansas. This is also where the vinyl was pressed, supervised by producer Chad Kassem. As is customary for releases in this series, the reissue features beautiful laminated, full-color art crafted in the tip-on style (akin to albums from the 1960s and ’60s).
Young was incredibly influential on many musicians who followed him, from John Coltrane and Stan Getz to Paul Desmond and even Charlie Parker. He was one of the, if not “the,” first musicians to step beyond the norms of the time in his soloing, offering soaring phrases around the music. He was also arguably the original jazz cat hipster, known for creating and popularizing jargon that influenced the jazz community, as well as writers like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. A winner of numerous polls, he was posthumously elected to the DownBeat Hall of Fame in 1959.
Charles Mingus recorded one of his most famous, heartfelt compositions in the wake of Young’s passing, “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” (from 1959’s classic Mingus Ah Um, a song later covered by no less than John McLaughlin and Joni Mitchell).
Laughin’ to Keep from Cryin’ showcases his breathy, buttery tone, with Young even returning to his beloved clarinet on a couple of tracks (“They Can’t Take That Away from Me” and “Salute to Benny”), which he hadn’t played in decades.
Curiously, the album never had a complete personnel listing on the cover, but reissues have revealed those details for this small-group session, which included trumpeters Roy Eldridge and Harry “Sweets” Edison, supported by Hank Jones (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), George Duvivier (bass), and Mickey Sheen (drums).
This new reissue of Laughin’ to Keep from Cryin’ is excellent. It took me a long time to find a nice original copy, which I will continue to enjoy, as it is in mono. This edition is in stereo, and it sounds superb, with very quiet, well-centered vinyl disappearing to let the music breathe from your speakers. This is one of those albums you can play quietly or loudly, and each listen will reveal new facets.
The only production hiccup I noticed is that the handsome cover art uses the mono edition, including the iconic mono “trumpeter” label (illustrated by David Stone Martin), not the stereo. Suspecting that the original album elements have long since disappeared, the cover photo is not as detailed as my original. Still, I would not let this collector’s detail sway you, as this is a great album, and reasonably priced originals in nice condition are not easy to locate.
Our Ratings
★★★★★★★★★★ Music
★★★★★★★★★★ Sound
★★★★★★★★★★ Packaging
Where to Buy:
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
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