In honor of Oscar Peterson's centennial, Mack Avenue Music Group and Two Lions Records have partnered to release Around The World, a celebration of Oscar's profound artistry through solo, duo and trio performances from 1969 to 1981. Featuring never-before-heard live concerts from Detroit, Michigan; Basel, Switzerland; Auckland, New Zealand; and his home of Toronto, Canada, Around The World celebrates the "Maharaja of the keyboard" and helps to usher in the next 100 years of Oscar Peterson.

This limited-edition release brings back a 1964 classic by the "emperor of the keyboard," Oscar Peterson, showcasing his beautiful touch, elegant phrasing, and effortless swing as he moves briskly through standards and bossa nova selections. Widely regarded as a historic masterpiece-and long praised for it's exceptional sound quality by legendary engineer Bob Simpson-the album is now reborn as a super high-end analog "100% Pure LP." This audiophile pressing includes the celebrated reference track "You Look Good To Me" among other highlights and is strictly limited to 1,000 serial-numbered copies. Pressed on 180g heavyweight, uncolored virgin vinyl using a metal master press, the audio is sourced from the latest 96kHz/24-bit master transferred directly from the original analog tapes, ensuring outstanding fidelity. The deluxe presentation features a gatefold coated jacket with obi, a special soft vinyl outer bag, and includes lyrics and liner notes. As a limited production item, availability may be unstable and orders may be subject to cancellation depending on circumstances.

An August 1964 New York session that pairs Peterson's established trio - Ray Brown (bass) and Ed Thigpen (drums) - with guest Clark Terry (trumpet/flugelhorn). It marks a clear moment in Peterson's shift from constant trio touring to more focused studio work with outside collaborators. The trio plays with it's usual cohesion, giving Terry space to add horn, and occasional "mumbles" phrasing. Key tracks include "Brotherhood of Man," noted for it's tight structure and balanced solos, and "Jim," highlighting the blend of Terry's tone with Peterson's understated approach. The album stands as a concise document of two major jazz figures working in a small group setting during a period when studio sessions were becoming more polished and deliberate. Verve Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Affinity captures a studio session from September 1962 in Chicago, featuring Peterson on piano alongside his long-time trio partners Ray Brown (bass) and Ed Thigpen (drums). The album offers a refined selection of standards delivered with the assured interplay that defined the Peterson/Brown/Thigpen trio. Peterson's first recorded take on the Bill Evans classic "Waltz For Debby" is a lyrical, nuanced performance - and "Gravy Waltz," (co-written by Ray Brown,) showcases the trio's rhythmic drive and subtle groove. As a whole, Affinity is a tasteful, well-crafted example of Peterson's work in the early 1960s - a strong trio recording that reflects his continued commitment to swing, subtlety, and ensemble balance, making it a valuable piece for any serious jazz collection. Verve's Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Vinyl LP pressing. When Oscar Peterson arrived for a two-week engagement at Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit in early August 1960, the pianist's year-old trio, featuring bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen, was ascending to new artistic peaks. Intended at the time as a live album for Verve but never released, the music on 'At Baker's Keyboard Lounge' features remarkable, previously unissued performances, all taped on a single Friday night. No matter the tempo, rhythm, or complexity of the arrangement, the three players breathe as one on these recordings, phrasing as if controlled by a single heartbeat. These new-to-the-world recordings, made in Peterson's prime at the longest continuously operating jazz club in the US, remind you that there will never be anyone else like Oscar Peterson.

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

A brand new production of ‘Tannhäuser’ from the Staatsoper Berlin, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, staged and choreographed by Sasha Waltz, who has brought to the stage this Romantic Wagner opera with a star cast of some of today's best Wagnerian singers: Peter Seiffert in the title role, Réne Pape as Landgraf and Peter Mattei as Wolfram, Ann Petersen sings Elisabeth and Marina Prudenskaya is Venus.

HD recording: Staatsoper im Schiller Theater, Berlin – 04/2014
BLURAY Running time: 192 min.
Booklet: French / English / German, Subtitles: French / English / German
16/9, Full HD, Audio:PCM 2.0, DTS HD Master Audio

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Oscar Peterson's Frank Sinatra tribute features his trio with bassist Ray Brown & drummer Ed Thigpen. The renditions are all under four minutes and are highlighted by "Come Dance with Me," "Just in Time," "I Get a Kick Out of You," and "How About You?" This is one of Oscar Peterson's most essential dates-swinging and enjoyable.

Also available on Blu-ray

A brand new production of ‘Tannhäuser’ from the Staatsoper Berlin, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, staged and choreographed by Sasha Waltz, who has brought to the stage this Romantic Wagner opera with a star cast of some of today's best Wagnerian singers: Peter Seiffert in the title role, Réne Pape as Landgraf and Peter Mattei as Wolfram, Ann Petersen sings Elisabeth and Marina Prudenskaya is Venus.

HD recording: Staatsoper im Schiller Theater, Berlin – 04/2014
DVD Running time: 192 min.
Booklet: French / English / German, Subtitles: French / English / German
16/9, NTSC, Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1

For his fourth disc for Criss Cross, drummer/leader Ralph Peterson has reconstituted the Fo'tet, his critically acclaimed forward-looking quartet featuring vibraphonist Bryan Carrott. Founding member clarinetist Don Byron returns after a nearly 15 years hiatus to revisit the group's truly unique, original sound. Percussionist Eguie Castillo augments the band to help it fuse Latin rhythms into the mix, including a Puerto Rican plena arrangement of Joe Henderson's "Shade of Jade" and a Brazilian samba flavored reworking of the leader's "Keep it Simple." Features bassist Belden Bullock.

On drummer/composer Ralph Peterson's debut, he returns to the two-horns & rhythm format with which he kicked off his recording career, deploying an approach that blends the drive of Art Blakey with the edginess of Miles Davis. Joined by an ensemble of youngsters (Jeremy Pelt, Jimmy Greene, Orrin Evans & Eric Revis) whose ability to dip into the tradition & move forward equips them to navigate the primal complexities of Peterson's sonic landscape, Peterson offers his swingingest date in years.

For his third Criss Cross release with his quintet of up-and-coming stars (trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Greene, pianist Orrin Evans, and bassist Eric Revis) Ralph Peterson offers his most mature and accomplished album yet. Like his mentor, Art Blakey, Peterson shapes the flow, stamping a set of primarily original music with his inimitable rhythmic personality.