Oscar Peterson Plays The George Gershwin Songbook
Oscar Peterson made two trips through the Gershwin repertoire, one in 1952 and another in 1959 after the advent of stereo. As withOscar Peterson Plays the Duke Ellington Songbook, this disc compiles both sessions, the earlier one with a trio of guitaristBarney Kesseland bassistRay Brown, the later one with Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen. The later session is programmed first. The earlier group drew its conception from theNat "King" Cole trio, a lightly swinging blend that benefits from a third highly adept soloist in Kessel. The later group is more conventional, but it sometimes draws meatier, more forceful playing from an older Peterson. The contrast is apparent in the two versions of "It Ain't Necessarily So." On both sessions, the emphasis is on the tunes, and Peterson sparkles on uptempos and ballads alike.--Stuart Broomer