George Ernest Young (7 October 1937 – 23 April 2026) was an American jazz saxophonist and flautist.
He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. After leading his own band in the late 1950s, Young became a New York City session and studio musician in the 1960s and joined several line-ups including Mike Mainieri's jazz-rock big band White Elephant Orchestra, as well as later joining the Saturday Night Live Band.Feather, Leonard; Ira Gitler. The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford University Press, 2007. . At Google Books. Retrieved 14 November 2019
In 1982, along with fellow saxophonists David Sanborn, Ronnie Cuber, Young was voted one of the Most Valued Players by the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences' annual awards edition."N.Y. NARAS Chapter Gives MVP Awards." Billboard, p. 60. 13 November 1982. At Google Books. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
Young has led his own quartets featuring Harold Danko, Rick Laird and Butch Miles (early 1980s) and another quartet, featuring Warren Bernhardt, Tony Marino and Tom Whaley (early 1990s). He has performed with Eric Clapton, Mariah Carey, Luciano Pavarotti, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Madonna, Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Bennett, Steve Gadd among others.
Young died in California on 23 April 2026, at the age of 88.
Discography As leader 1962: Presenting the Unbelieveable George Young, Columbia Records"Album Reviews". Billboard, p. 14. 6 October 1962. At Google Books. Retrieved 14 November 2019. CS 8681 1989: Old Times - Chiaroscuro Records CR(D) 307 1994: Salute (with Louie Bellson and Bobby Shew) - Chiaroscuro Records CR(D) 329
As sideman/session musician 1974: James Taylor - Walking Man 1976: Walter Murphy Band - A Fifth of Beethoven, Private Stock Records (Soprano, alto, tenor saxophone, and flute solos) 1977: Maynard Ferguson - Conquistador, Columbia Records 1977: Walter Bishop Jr. - Soul Village, MuseWalter Bishop Jr. Catalog. At Jazzdico.org. Retrieved 14 November 2019. 1978: Quincy Jones - Sounds...and Stuff Like That!! 1979: Dr. John - City Lights,Down Beat, Volume 46, p. 30. Maher Publications, 1979. At Google Books. Retrieved 14 November 2019. 1979: Ian Hunter - You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, Chrysalis"Closeup". Billboard, p. 67. 21 April 1979. At Google Books. Retrieved 14 November 2019. 1980: Peter Criss- Out of Control ( saxophone on "Where Will They Run?") 1984: Yoko Ono - Every Man Has a Woman, Polydor (Young plays on the track "Now or Never", recorded in 1972)Blaney, John. John Lennon: Listen to This Book, p. 321. John Blaney, 2005. . At Google Books. Retrieved 14 November 2019. 1996: Christy Baron - I Thought About You, CheskyLord, Tom. The Jazz Discography, Volume 33, p. B-173. Lord Music Reference, 2003. . At Google Books. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
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