On the Town
On the Towncaptures the Oscar Peterson trio at its zenith, with bassistRay Brownand guitaristHerb Ellisjoining the pianist on this 1958 live recording from Toronto's Town Tavern. The three had been together for five years, and Ellis's imminent departure would lead Peterson to redefine the group in more conventional terms, with drums in place of guitar. As this recording demonstrates, the group had achieved a stunning level of cohesion. The three had a collective knack for finding different approaches within a single tune, and Ellis and Brown worked in tandem to support and prod Peterson's explosive flights. On up-tempos such as the opening "Sweet Georgia Brown" andDizzy Gillespie's "The Champ," the effect is extraordinary, with Peterson generating solos of astonishing momentum and multidimensional complexity. Ellis's solos are a distinct pleasure in themselves. He adds an expressive twang to tunes like "Easy Listenin' Blues," and his more direct, lyrical playing presents an effective contrast to Peterson's knottier style. This Verve Master Edition adds five previously unreleased tracks to the original LP, material originally slated for a second LP. It stretches the CD to a generous 77 minutes and includes a superb medium-tempo version ofClifford Brown's "Joy Spring" that's highlighted by Peterson's restrained single-note lines. The improved audio of the 24-bit remastering, however, is a mixed blessing. While the instruments gain new luster, the bar chatter does, too, reaching distracting levels on some of the ballads and bass solos.--Stuart Broomer