Jazz musician Marcus Miller wearing a pork pie

Lester Young and his Pork Pie Hat

The pork pie hat  originated in the mid 19th century. Originally referring to a type of woman’s hat, it gets its name from its resemblance to a pork pie.

The pork pie hat was a staple of the British man-about-town style for many years. Pork pie hats are often associated with Jazz, Blues and Ska musicians and fans. Charlie Mingus wrote an elegy for jazz saxophone great Lester Young  called “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” and the story said i wrote this tune during the night just after Lester’s death. Many artists have performed this tune, including Jeff Beck and Joni Mitchell.