JAZZ LEGENDS - Oscar Peterson Trio
BBC J 7001
-2
Crotchet
Amazon
UK
Recorded live at the Barbican, London 1984
Osacr Peterson - Piano Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen - bass and
Martin Drew - drums
Falling in love with love.
Time after time.
Cake walk
Goodbye old girl.
Who can I turn to?
Old folks
Satin doll.
Night child.
The man I love.
Oscar Peterson Interview.
Oscar Peterson has a unique talent, he is the complete jazz piano player
and for me the yardstick with which to judge others. His playing encompasses
all those who went before him, Fats Waller, Art Tatum, Nat Cole and many
others, but to all of this he adds the Oscar Peterson ingredient. This ingredient
is a superb technique, immaculate taste and a huge presence, the like of
which has not been known before. There have been many versions of the trio,
this one featured Danish Bass player Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and British
Drummer Martin Drew. Niels has to be the most accomplished bass player in
the world and Martin has always been amongst my favourite drummers, if you
listen to the interview Oscar rates him too!
"Falling in love with love" kicks off with Martin Drew, who is then joined
by Niels and then by Oscar. A very dramatic start to what turns out to be
a very fine concert indeed.
It is followed by the Styne/Cahn ballad, "Time after time" a fine tune
beautifully played by the trio. A Peterson original "Cake Walk" follows,
this is a very exciting track with virtuoso performances by all three players.
"Goodbye old girl" is a solo feature for Oscar, it is taken at a slow tempo
and each note is crafted in the way only he can.. "Who can I turn to" starts
out of tempo, moves into stride piano and then into an up tempo rave for
the trio.
"Old folks is a composition of Willard Robinson and is intended as a musical
description of American rural life. I can't see it myself, but perhaps I
don't have enough imagination! Oscar's version is beautifully played however.
" Satin Doll" is a title that is always expected at a Peterson concert, this
version did not disappoint.
"Night Child" is another Peterson original, worthy of much more exposure,
listen to Niels Pedersen on this one, he is outstanding. The concert concludes
with "The Man I Love" and like all the tracks the performance is dazzling.
This is a performance by the best jazz trio in the world playing on the top
of its form
Oscar of course hails from Canada and came to prominence in the jazz world
through the Jazz at the Philharmonic tours of the 1950's, I first heard him
then and have found him the most consistent of jazz performers ever since.
Another great offering from the BBC.
Reviewer
Don Mather
Don Mather is a Saxophone Player and Bandleader based in
Coventry
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