Lester Young and Count Basie, friends and co-workers for the past five years in Basie’s band, parted two weeks ago. The split came as a terrific surprise to followers of Basie and the band. Basie said he would not comment. Young…likewise refused to discuss the change and said he wasn’t sure what he would do… Les, who failed to show up for a record date on Friday 13th [December], said ‘Go ’way and lemme sleep – a man’s got no business makin’ music on Friday the 13th’.