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Reviewers: Don Mather, Marc Bridle, Ian Lace, Peter Woolf, Gerald Fenech


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



Reviewer

Don Mather



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