Peterson The Way

Oscar Peterson - Debut: The Clef/Mercury Duo Recordings 1949-1951 (2009) {3CD Set, Verve–Hip-O Select ‎B0012950-02}
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© 1949-51, 2009 Verve / Hip-O Select ‎| B0012950-02
Jazz / Mainstream Jazz / Bop / Piano

Piano giant Oscar Peterson's professional career spanned approximately 60 years and produced a prolific amount of recordings, though most of what he waxed during his first two decades was for labels launched by jazz impresario Norman Granz. But Peterson's early duo recordings have been neglected during the CD era until this comprehensive, three-CD set of his duets with Ray Brown or Major Holley made between 1949 and 1951.

Jerome Kern's stage tunes – going back to the late '20s with the acclaimed presentation Show Boat – right up to the '40s, will forever be at the core of quintessential American popular songs that hold a dear place in the heart of all straight-ahead jazz performers. Oscar Peterson's immortal trio with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen play Kern's themes expertly, with no small degree of interpretation, and a clever angle on these well-worn songs that only Peterson can self-identify with his genius mindset. The title should be more accurately "The Jerome Kern & Friends Songbook," as he always co-wrote with such notables as Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Ira Gershwin, and Dorothy Fields, but these are all instrumental versions of his priceless musical scores and are immediately familiar without lyrics.

There are at least five Oscar Petersons on display on this comprehensive box set representing his work with the legendary Norman Granz and celebrating his 80th birthday on Aug. 15th, 2005. CDs 1-5 feature Oscars' work interpreting the Great American Songbook where he and Granz "tried to draw more people into jazz." CD 6 contains his first session with Granz as he accompanies Billie Holiday on 16 sides that show his talent as an accompanist. CDs 7-8 capture Oscars' collaboration with 4 tenor sax men: Lester Young, Ben Webster, Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie, plus a rare session with Flip Phillips. CDs 9-10 feature the entire 1954 issue from the Jazz At The Philharmonic, including Oscar playing with Lester Young, Bill Harris and Ray Brown.