Pianist Oscar Peterson had a reunion alongside guitarist Herb Ellis too bassist Ray Brown at a well-publicized get-together at New York's Blue Note inward March 1990. The trio (his regular grouping of the belatedly '50s) was augmented past times Peterson's late-'60s drummer Bobby Durham for spirited performances. Rather than using their complex arrangements of the past, the pianist too his alumni but jammed through the performances too the results are quite rewarding. On the outset of 4 CDs released past times Telarc, the quartet performs "Honeysuckle Rose," a ballad medley, iii of the pianist's originals too "Sweet Georgia Brown." As this too the other CDs inward the serial show, the magic was nonetheless there.
In March of 1990, Oscar Peterson played a two-week appointment at the Blue Note inward New York alongside a grouping billed every bit the Oscar Peterson Trio, fifty-fifty though it contained 4 players. Peterson was on piano, Ray Brown was on bass, Herb Ellis was on guitar too Bobby Durham was on drums. The billing was no dubiety intended to capitalize on the fact that Peterson, Brown too Ellis had been 1 of the most pop jazz trios of the 1950s. The iii had rarely played together betwixt 1958 too this 1990 New York gig.
Telarc, a successful classical label exactly breaking into jazz at the time, recorded the terminal iii nights of the engagement. Over the side past times side ii years, music from each nighttime was released on private CDs: The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note, Sabbatum Night at the Blue Note too Last Call at the Blue Note. Telarc took 1 terminal move past times inward 1993, alongside Encore at the Blue Note, a alternative of “other fine moments” from the iii nights. The outset ii albums won Grammy trophies. In belatedly 2004, Telarc reissued this textile inward a four-CD set. You volition await inward vain for previously unissued tracks or remastering. But yous larn 4 CDs for the cost of two, a real slick skid representative (all four-CD sets should endure packaged this way) too novel liner notes past times Alyn Shipton, jazz critic for the Times of London.
On Oscar Peterson, at that topographic point are ii broad critical schools of thought. The outset (probably to a greater extent than widely held) is that Peterson is a virtuoso who deserves to endure mentioned inward the same judgement alongside Art Tatum. The 2d is that Peterson is a virtuoso, too that it is hard to aid real much well-nigh this fact. If it is the 2d perspective that holds sway inward this review, it is hopefully non without honor for the first. Opinions well-nigh Peterson’s music are fifty-fifty to a greater extent than subjective than most judgments well-nigh art. If his industrial plant for you, too thus yous are going to dearest this set, because it contains almost 5 hours of torrential floods of pure Peterson. You are going to dearest tunes similar “Sushi” too “Blues Etude,” which seek out that Peterson, at 65, could play every bit fast every bit whatever pianist who always lived. You are going to marvel at his ascendancy of phrasing, his harmonic cognition too his embodiment of thus much jazz pianoforte history. You are going to endure dazzled past times the hook-up alongside guitarist Herb Ellis, particularly given the 32-year hiatus inward their musical relationship.
But if Peterson does non motion you, too thus yous are probable to observe his fast pieces rather similar musical Formula One auto races, consummate alongside hairpin turns. You volition observe the rewards of the dazzling fours betwixt Peterson too Ellis to a greater extent than athletic than aesthetic. You volition accept reservations well-nigh ballads similar “It Never Entered My Mind” too “A Child Is Born,” believing that, for a jazz improviser, these songs should endure occasions for self-revelation, but that inward Peterson’s hands they are elegant, flawless too detached.
This 1990 recording reunites Oscar Peterson's nonpareil 1950s trio of Ray Brown too Herb Ellis, fleshing out the lineup alongside drummer Bobby Durham from the peachy pianist's '60s group. Though all the principals were inward their sixties at the fourth dimension of the recording, their performances are every bit tight too fleet every bit ever, alongside Ellis sounding particularly inspired. The ballads "I Remember You," "A Child Is Born," too "Tenderly" demonstrate their mature, melodic empathy, piece "Honeysuckle Rose" too "Sweet Georgia Brown" are the type of barn burners for which Peterson too fellowship were famous.
Track listing
1. Introductions – 1:56
2. "Honeysuckle Rose" (Andy Razaf, Fats Waller) – 8:50
3. "Let There Be Love" (Lionel Grant, Ian Rand) – 12:00
4. "Peace for South Africa" (Oscar Peterson) – 10:46
5. "Sushi" (Peterson) – 8:06
6. "I Remember You"/"A Child Is Born"/"Tenderly" (Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger)/(Thad Jones, Alec Wilder) – 7:17
7. "Sweet Georgia Brown" (Ben Bernie, Maceo Pinkard, Kenneth Casey) – 8:21
8. "Blues for Big Scotia" (Peterson) - 6:08
Personnel
Oscar Peterson – piano
Herb Ellis – guitar
Ray Brown – double bass
Bobby Durham - drums
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