September 1944, and saxophone legend Lester Young arrives at Fort McClellan, Alabama, for basic training. Young is a jazz star, and he expects to be placed in a military band, like white musicians Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw. Instead, he’s assigned to a combat unit. Here marks the beginning of the end for the “President of Jazz.”
Lester Young’s impact on jazz, and popular culture, is immeasurable. He rose to fame as one of the Count Basie Orchestra’s standout. His solos, it was said, could take the audience’s collective breath away. His smooth, passionate sax work influenced generations – from Charlie Parker to Sonny Rollins. He was a true original. He coined the hipster phrases, “cool,” and “bread.” He dubbed Billie Holiday “Lady Day.” And you knew him at a glance by his pork pie hat.
Lester Young was not cut out for the army. He refused to follow orders. He resisted cutting his hair, sleeping in a barracks, or even wearing army boots. He openly drank and smoked marijuana. And, he declared that he didn’t need basic training because he would never fire a gun. “I don’t want to kill anyone,” he said. “I want to play and make them happy.” He was court martialed in short order and sentenced to one year in a detention barracks, then dishonorably discharged.
Details of his year in custody are sparse. What is known, though, is that Young was subjected to brutal abuse and bigotry. The experience was so traumatic, his sax playing was never quite the same. And it set in motion a long, slow spiral into alcoholism. “The sooner I drink myself to death,” Prez once joked, “the happier I’ll be.”
This episode of “Soundtrack to the Struggle” was written and produced by Ron Adkins. Executive Producers Dennis Green and George Dorman. Hosted by Hollis Monroe.
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