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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The beauty of Oscar Peterson's sound has never been as superbly captured as this. (Jazz critic Gene Lees in the original liner notes) - When the world-renowned Canadian pianist Oscar Peterson came to Villingen in 1961, there was a mood of intense excitement all round. Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer (HGBS), former owner of the hifi dynasty SABA, had just set up the first version of his studio, equipped with the most advanced recording technology of the time, above the living-room in his villa. This was the bait used by the piano enthusiast to attract the famous pianist to the Black Forest. After a guest performance in Zurich, Peterson climbed into a limousine and embarked on a journey across the mountains. As soon as he arrived, along with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen, the international star was led to the Steinway grand in the living-room where several excited guests were eagerly waiting. - In the following years, the Canadian pianist returned again and again to the Black Forest with various line-ups to capture his musical vision on tape. As Peterson was still under contract to Verve, the recordings could not be released before 1968. The legendary Exclusively For My Friends series was the first release for Brunner-Schwer's newly-established MPS label. - Never before had a recording captured every aspect of Peterson's ground-breaking sound so vividly: the virtuosity and the speed as well as the delicate inspiration he brings to the subtle and reflective moments. These recordings, made over a short period of five years, also reflect the transformation from equal member of a trio to soloist. All albums beside "Mellow Mood" and "Travelin' On" were released in 1968, with those two being released in 1969. - This will be the first time MPS reissues all the recordings from the "Exclusively For My Friends" series as standalones. All editions will have a scan of the mastertapebox and the original linernotes included.
Throughout his decades-long career, Oscar Peterson accomplished the near impossible: greatness with every note played and the acquisition of new generations of fans worldwide, regardless of the obstacles life threw at him. In 1994, only one year after suffering a stroke that rendered his left hand weakened, Peterson took the stage in Munich to prove to his collaborators, fans, and himself, that his earned title of "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington still rang true. By reinventing his playing style at 68 years old, he demonstrated his undiminished inventive prowess with an all-star band including Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass), Lorne Lofsky (guitar) and Martin Drew (drums).
