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Hip Me to Oscar Peterson


Dave Pierce

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OK, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I know nothing of recently-departed Oscar Peterson. I mean sure, I've heard his name bandied about, and I suppose I've heard his recordings before. But I certainly don't own any of them.

 

Seems like now is the time to rectify that.

 

So, if you could buy one and only one Oscar Peterson album/collection, what would it be? There are 94 listed on iTunes, surely we can slim that down a bit.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

--Dave

 

Make my funk the P-funk.

I wants to get funked up.

 

My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/

 

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Night Train is good, but I like "Satch and Josh... Again" more. (The first Satch and Josh isn't so good). It's on Pablo Record, and it's Oscar Peterson and Count Basie playing duel pianos, with a bassist and drummer backing them up. OP is really good at comping, but on this recording, you get to hear CB doing the comping and OP really let loose.

 

Back when records were giving way to tapes, my best friend's dad went around and bought every jazz record he could. In fact, this is how I got into OP. He had about 10-15 OP records, and "Satch and Josh... Again" has always stood out for me..

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I've always loved "The Paris Concert" and "Exclusively For My Friends".

 

I didn't see "Paris Concert" on iTunes, but it (and a whole lot more) are on the exceedingly affordable eMusic. IIRC, there is a free introductory offer of a certain number of downloads. Lots of jazz, blues, world music stuff from independent labels. As an example, there are 32 OP albums to choose from. The base price is 33 cents a song 30 downloads for $9.99), cheaper if you buy more per month.

aka âmisterdregsâ

 

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"The Paris Concert" is also called "A la Salle Pleyel" (perhaps the concert venue?) and is on iTunes as Joe Pass and Oscar Peterson, but oddly isn't listed under OP and has a different album cover. Same record, though, I am sure.

 

Drumless trio with Nils Pederson (I think). The breakneck 150 MPH "Sweet Georgia Brown" is worth it alone.

aka âmisterdregsâ

 

Nord Electro 5D 73

Yamaha P105

Kurzweil PC3LE7

Motion Sound KP200S

Schimmel 6-10LE

QSC CP-12

Westone AM Pro 30 IEMs

Rolls PM55P

 

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Actually, most of the songs are the same, but there are some additions and deletions and changes in order. And the OP record was on Pablo, not Fantasy.

 

Ah well, the one on eMusic is the one I am thinking of for sure.

aka âmisterdregsâ

 

Nord Electro 5D 73

Yamaha P105

Kurzweil PC3LE7

Motion Sound KP200S

Schimmel 6-10LE

QSC CP-12

Westone AM Pro 30 IEMs

Rolls PM55P

 

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Ditto the above recommends.

 

One of the coolest things is watching him play. I just Googled amazon.com and there are a few DVD concerts available - London, 1964 (trio) and Berlin would be good introductions.

 

Also a very good way to get into an artist through a body of work is by getting a Verve Jazz Masters compilation - there are at least 3 available.

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Another recommendation for Night Train here, as well as Live at the Stratford Festival. The Verve Jazz Master's comp is good and is what I started with, I think. The MPS albums - Exclusively For my Friends and My Favourite Instrument are fantastic as well.

 

I did a whole hour of Oscar Peterson on the radio Friday. You can find the playlist on my blog, below.

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Coolio, thanks for the input guys.

 

I need to head of to the record stores to look for something that isn't easily available online, so I'll look for "Night Train" there. If I don't find it, I'll grab it off of iTunes tonight.

 

--Dave

 

Make my funk the P-funk.

I wants to get funked up.

 

My Funk/Jam originals project: http://www.thefunkery.com/

 

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As stated many times, Night Train is excellent.

 

There is a little known Oscar album from the 70s that I think he did in Europe. It's called 'Another Day', and he does some monstrously great playing on it. He does like 3 double time choruses over 'All the Things You Are', in RH/LH octaves and it's just so effortless and swinging.

 

If you can get ahold of the Live Video of Oscar at Newport with Ray Brown and Neils HOP, you'll be in for some of the best Oscar around.

 

And lastly I'll say that you should stay away from the stuff Oscar recorded after '95. It's all worth a listen but those recordings won't put Oscar's best foot forward for you, and he deserves to be heard at the height of his mastery.

 

I'll also give a small shout out to 'Side by Side', which was the first Oscar record that really got me into him.

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