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SACD

Oscar Peterson Trio – West Side Story (1962) [APO Remaster 2011] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CVRJ 8454 SA]

adminMay 10, 2025 313 Views

Title: Oscar Peterson Trio – West Side Story (1962) [APO Remaster 2011]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

West Side Story was a bit of an unusual session for several reasons. First, the popularity of both the Broadway musical and the film version that followed meant that there were many records being made of its music. Second, rather than woodshed on the selections prior to entering the studio, the Oscar Peterson Trio spontaneously created impressions of the musical’s themes on the spot. “Something’s Coming” seems like a series of vignettes, constantly shifting its mood, as if moving from one scene to the next. Ray Brown plays arco bass behind Peterson in the lovely “Somewhere,” while the feeling to “Jet Song” is very hip in the trio’s hands. The snappy interplay between the musicians in the brisk setting of “Tonight” turns it into a swinger. “Maria” initially has a light, dreamy quality, though it evolves into a solid groove. The romp through “I Feel Pretty” is full of humor, while the album closes with a brief reprise of several themes from the musical to wrap the session with a flourish.

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1 min read

SACD

Oscar Peterson Trio – We Get Requests (1964) [Analogue Productions 2011] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CVRJ 8606 SA]

adminMay 10, 2025 948 Views

Title: Oscar Peterson Trio – We Get Requests (1964) [Analogue Productions 2011]
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Pianist Oscar Peterson has long been such a consistent performer that none of his records are throwaways, but this particular set is weaker than most. Since several of the songs are the type that in the mid-’60s would get requested (such as “People,” “The Girl from Ipanema,” and “The Days of Wine and Roses”), the program would not seem to have much potential, but Peterson mostly uplifts the material (although not much could be done with “People”) and adds a few songs (such as his own “Goodbye, J.D.” and John Lewis’ “D & E”). Overall, this is a reasonably enjoyable Oscar Peterson session, featuring bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen.

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1 min read

SACD

Oscar Peterson – The Way I Really Play (1968) [Reissue 2003] [SACD / MPS Records – 06024 9811295]

adminMay 10, 2025 373 Views

Title: Oscar Peterson – The Way I Really Play (1968) [Reissue 2003]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO

The third volume of Oscar Peterson’s Exclusively for My Friends series, all recorded with an invited audience in the warm studio of producer Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer, features live trio sessions with bassist Sam Jones and drummer Bobby Durham. The program opens with an unusual medley of Ray Brown’s “Waltzing Is Hip” (played with gusto) and a gently swinging “Satin Doll.” The influence of Art Tatum is apparent during his intricate runs within “Love Is Here to Stay,” while the multifaceted original “Sandy’s Blues” (dedicated to his wife) combines a dark mood with a swinging setting. The lighthearted waltzing treatment of “Alice in Wonderland” is pure joy, while another original, “Noreen’s Nocturne,” is simply a showstopper.

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1 min read

SACD

Oscar Peterson, Stephane Grappelli – Skol (1982) [Reissue 2004] [SACD / Pablo Records – 2308-232-6]

adminMay 10, 2025 272 Views

Title: Oscar Peterson, Stephane Grappelli – Skol (1982) [Reissue 2004]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Skol is a standout cooperative jazz album recorded live at Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens. Oscar Peterson, Stephane Grappelli, Joe Pass, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and Mickey Roker performed with swinging camaraderie. The quintet, featuring Danish, American, French, and Canadian musicians, spoke the universal language of jazz. Peterson on piano and Grappelli on violin led with creativity, backed by Pass on guitar, Pedersen on bass, and Roker on drums. The setlist included five standards like “Nuages,” evoking Grappelli’s 1930s Hot Club of France Quintet. Grappelli’s extended solos and Peterson’s restrained yet intense playing shone brightly. Pass and Pedersen delivered exceptional performances, while Roker provided perfect timing. The album features previously unreleased tracks like “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Solitude,” and “I Got Rhythm.” A spontaneous closing blues, named “Skol,” highlighted tradeoffs between Peterson and Grappelli. Norman Granz produced this session, prioritizing musical fellowship over stardom.

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1 min read

SACD

Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson – The Very Tall Band: Live at the Blue Note (1999) [SACD / Telarc Jazz – 83443-SA]

adminMay 10, 2025 292 Views

Title: Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson – The Very Tall Band: Live at the Blue Note (1999)
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Oscar Peterson’s landmark meeting with Milt Jackson in the mid-’60s produced the very successful studio date Very Tall. They’ve played and recorded together on a number of occasions since then, joined by Ray Brown more often than not, but these live tracks recorded at the Blue Note are among their most satisfying sessions. Peterson continues his strong comeback from the serious stroke that he suffered in 1993, replacing his once ferocious tempos with an uncanny lyricism. Brown’s introduction to “Blues for JR” and his bass solo medley are superb, while Jackson remains a master of the blues. The finale of “Caravan” features drummer Karriem Riggins and brings the session to a thunderous climax. Highly recommended.

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1 min read

SACD

Oscar Peterson, Michel Legrand – Trail Of Dreams: A Canadian Suite (2000) [Reissue 2003] [SACD / Telarc Surround – SACD-63500]

adminMay 10, 2025 296 Views

Title: Oscar Peterson, Michel Legrand – Trail Of Dreams: A Canadian Suite (2000) [Reissue 2003]
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Trail of Dreams: A Canadian Suite is a 2000 studio album by Oscar Peterson, dedicated to his native Canada. Unlike his typical work, it avoids jazz standards and bop, blending jazz with pop, classical, and symphonic elements. Recorded in April 2000, it features Peterson with a 24-piece string orchestra conducted by Michel Legrand. Legrand, known for composing classics, serves only as conductor and arranger here. Peterson wrote all the compositions, inspired by Canadian locales from Quebec to British Columbia. The music aims to create an aural portrait of Canada. While Peterson’s solos are limited, he delivers some notable improvisations. The album is not a hardcore bop project and shouldn’t be judged as such. It may not appeal to bop purists but suits open-minded listeners. Trail of Dreams is an interesting, though imperfect, departure for Peterson.

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1 min read

SACD

Oscar Peterson – Girl Talk (1968) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011] [SACD / MPS Records – UCGU-9036]

adminMay 10, 2025 303 Views

Title: Oscar Peterson – Girl Talk (1968) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO

One of a number of memorable albums recorded by Oscar Peterson for MPS during the mid-’60s, Girl Talk was compiled from several live studio sessions taped between 1964 and 1966, with bassist Sam Jones and either Bobby Durham or Louis Hayes on drums. Peterson’s romping right hand helps this normally bland show tune. The pianist’s imaginative unaccompanied introduction to “I’m in the Mood for Love” adds a new dimension to this old chestnut, with the rhythm section making a belated entrance; it is rather unusual to hear the trio play on just one song for 17 minutes. The title track, an overlooked gem jointly written by Bobby Troup and Neal Hefti, finds the leader in a bluesy mood. The relaxed but jaunty treatment of “Robbin’s Nest” follows a powerful medley of “I Concentrate on You” and “Moon River” to wrap up this highly recommended session.

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SACD

Oscar Peterson – Action (1968) [Reissue 2003] [SACD / Verve Records – B0002228-16]

adminMay 10, 2025 316 Views

Title: Oscar Peterson – Action (1968) [Reissue 2003]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO

Oscar Peterson developed a friendship with Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer, who proceeded to record the pianist in his first-rate studio beginning in the early ’60s, even though Peterson was under an exclusive contract to Verve at the time. The solution to this problem was to wait until after it expired, and then a number of these sessions were released on various BASF or MPS LPs (and later on Pausa LP reissues). Action represents some of Peterson’s earliest work for Brunner-Schwer; these sessions were recorded before an invited audience in the studio, with the pianist’s working trio of Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen. The group seems extremely relaxed and inspired by the small group of loyal fans, with a brisk waltz treatment of “At Long Last Love” and an extended workout of fellow pianist Billy Taylor’s ballad “Easy Walker” starting things off with a flourish. Their approach to “Tin Tin Deo” is remarkably subtle, while Peterson is at his most lyrical during a pair of Gershwin selections, “I’ve Got a Crush on You” and “A Foggy Day.” The influence of Art Tatum is apparent with Peterson’s darting runs in “Like Someone in Love”.

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2 min read

SACD

Ornette Coleman – The Shape Of Jazz To Come (1959) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011] [SACD / Atlantic – WPGR-10005]

adminMay 10, 2025 327 Views

Title: Ornette Coleman – The Shape Of Jazz To Come (1959) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Ornette Coleman’s The Shape of Jazz to Come, his Atlantic debut, is a landmark in avant-garde jazz. It challenged jazz harmony by eliminating the piano and fixed chord changes. Coleman and Don Cherry gained unprecedented freedom to explore melodies spontaneously. The rhythm section, with Charlie Haden on bass and Billy Higgins on drums, supported Coleman’s radical vision. Critics feared Coleman’s free approach, claiming his music lacked structure. In retrospect, the album is accessible and often swinging, despite its controversy. Coleman’s alto saxophone, with its wailing and vocalized effects, defied conventional technique. His themes followed unpredictable paths, but his improvisations remained deeply melodic. “Lonely Woman” is a haunting classic, with “Congeniality” and “Peace” also standout tracks. This album is essential for understanding jazz’s avant-garde evolution.

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SACD

Ornette Coleman – Skies Of America (1972) [Japan 2000] [SACD / SME Records – SRGS 4554]

adminMay 10, 2025 272 Views

Title: Ornette Coleman – Skies Of America (1972) [Japan 2000]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Skies of America, Ornette Coleman’s 17th album, released in 1972 on Columbia Records, is a single orchestral composition. Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under David Measham, it features Coleman soloing in only a few segments. British union rules prevented Coleman’s quartet from playing, forcing him to adapt the work without its concerto grosso form. To fit on one LP, Coleman cut many recurring themes, and the recording quality is subpar. This was Coleman’s first recorded orchestral work, employing his innovative harmolodic theory, allowing simultaneous solos in different keys. The album, with 21 marked bands, is one unbroken piece with recurring themes tied to Coleman’s musical evolution. Notable themes, like “The Good Life,” trace back to 1962’s “School Work” and later became “Dancing in Your Head.” Coleman’s solos, from “The Artist in America” to “Sunday in America,” are emotionally and politically charged. The work’s dissonance challenges Western harmonic norms, making it both compelling and ahead of its time. Skies of America remains a bold, unreplicated challenge in music, still sounding revolutionary.

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2 min read