Exclusively for My Friends
These four discs collect the material on six long plays of trios and solos that Oscar Peterson recorded in Villingen, Germany, between 1963 and 1968. On standards galore, Peterson never lets up in his rigorous, swinging approach. He is at his prime on these recordings, as he himself noted later. The improvisations range from extraordinary to awe-inspiring. The lyricism ofNat King Coleis in there, along withArt Tatum-esque rococoisms andBud Powell-like attack. Which partners best complemented Peterson's girth, and bowed to it least, is always in dispute. On six tracks here,Ray Brownand Ed Thigpen lay claim against the earlier Brown-Herb Ellis unit. The set comes with a 32-page booklet containing black-and-white historical and original-cover photographs, and a detailed discography.--Peter Monaghan