Oscar Peterson – Oscar's (Oscar Peterson Plays The Academy Awards)

Oscar Peterson – Oscar's (Oscar Peterson Plays The Academy Awards)

Oscar's (Oscar Peterson Plays The Academy Awards) is a superb collection of Oscar Peterson interpretations of some of the most celebrated songs associated with Hollywood films, Broadway musicals and the Academy Awards. Originally released by Verve Records in 1969, the LP brings together performances recorded across more than a decade of Peterson's career.

Rather than being a conventional studio album recorded as one session, Oscar's works as a showcase for Peterson's remarkable ability to transform familiar melodies into sophisticated jazz performances. The repertoire moves effortlessly between standards from cinema and musical theatre, including “Something's Coming”, from West Side Story, “It Might As Well Be Spring”, “Love Is Here To Stay”, and the ever-popular “Over The Rainbow”.

The album also demonstrates the extraordinary range of musicians Peterson worked with throughout this period. Ray Brown appears across the recordings, with Ed Thigpen, Gene Gammage and guitarists Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel featuring on different selections. The result is a fascinating snapshot of Peterson's development from the early 1950s through the 1960s, with the different trio configurations adding subtle variations to the sound.

Highlights include the swinging interpretation of “The Continental”, the elegant “The Way You Look Tonight”, and the lyrical “Days Of Wine And Roses”. Peterson's trademark combination of dazzling technique, rhythmic precision and melodic sensitivity makes even these hugely familiar compositions feel fresh, while retaining the character of the original songs.

For fans of Oscar Peterson, Verve jazz, piano jazz and classic jazz standards, Oscar's is an excellent addition to any collection. It also has plenty to offer listeners interested in the relationship between jazz, Hollywood and the Great American Songbook, bringing together songs associated with West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Wizard Of Oz, Swing Time, Going My Way and other landmark films and musicals.

Originally issued as Verve V6-8775 in 1969, this vinyl LP is an appealing example of Peterson's ability to bridge popular song and serious jazz improvisation. For collectors, its unusual mixture of recordings from different eras makes it an especially interesting entry in his extensive Verve catalogue.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Something's Coming — 3:53
2. It Might As Well Be Spring — 2:56
3. The Continental — 3:58
4. Love Is Here To Stay — 2:55
5. Days Of Wine And Roses — 2:40
6. Lullaby Of Broadway — 2:23

Side B

1. The Rain In Spain — 5:30
2. Over The Rainbow — 2:24
3. The Way You Look Tonight — 3:35
4. You'll Never Know — 2:25
5. Swinging On A Star — 4:50