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The legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson was one of the most admired of his era, his speed and dexterity matching that of his idol Art Tatum, drawing on swing, blues and classical influences in his music. He is perhaps most famous for his recordings with his classic trios of the 1950s, and this 52-track 3-CD collection captures him in that era on a series of early album releases on Norman Granz’s Clef label in which he interprets the work of the some of the most renowned of the Great American Songbook composers. The collection features the entire contents of the albums “Oscar Peterson Vincent Youmans”, “Oscar Peterson Plays Harry Warren”, “Oscar Peterson Plays Harold Arlen”, “Oscar Peterson Plays Jimmy McHugh” and “Oscar Peterson Plays Count Basie”. On these albums he works in his favoured trio format with bass player Ray Brown and variously with guitarists Barney Kessel and Ray Ellis, with drummer Buddy Rich also featured on the “Plays Count Basie” album. He is a master interpreter of this kind of repertoire, bringing his special stamp to some of the finest pop and jazz standards, and it’s a great showcase for one of the genre’s most illustrious practitioners.
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