Al Sears was a tenor saxophonist, a few months younger than Lester, who had been leading a series of bands over most of the preceding decade. His current, thirteen-strong outfit had been formed the previous October for a residency at the Renaissance Casino and Ballroom on West 138th Street. This contract came to an end after Lester had been on board for a couple of weeks and Sears signed up for a long tour under the auspices of the United Services Organisation (USO), a partly state-funded voluntary body which provided entertainment for the troops. With the country on a war footing, shortages of fuel and other supplies were making life increasingly difficult for touring bands.