OSCAR PETERSON: SONGBOOKS+ (10 CDS)

Duke Ellington’s famous dictum „It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing“ expressed for Oscar Peterson the essence of jazz. And what could be a better confirmation of that than this box? It has the proof in sound in the form of
several of the best albums Peterson recorded, among them “At the Stratford Shakespearean Festival” and “At the Concertgebouw”. The trio formation is especially noteworthy in Peterson’s career. Both line-ups – with Ray Brown on bass
and Herb Ellis on guitar or Ray Brown with Ed. Thigpen on drums – have remained  unequalled of their kind. In the years after 1958 further classics appeared such as “Porgy and Bess”, “Swinging Brass”, as well as recordings from song books ranging from Duke Ellington, through George Gershwin to Cole Porter.

As a bonus listeners can hear the fantastic 1957 album “Anita Sings The Most”, by Anita O’Day, an artist Peterson so much admired.

CD 1

The Oscar Peterson Trio At The Stratford Shakespearean Festival 1956
1-1 Falling In Love With Love
1-2 How About You?
1-3 Flamingo
1-4 Swinging On A Star
1-5 Noreen's Nocturne
1-6 Gypsy In My Soul
1-7 How High The Moon
1-8 Love You Madly
1-9 52nd Street Theme

Oscar Peterson (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass)
Recorded at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival in
Ontario, August 8, 1956

CD 2

The Oscar Peterson Trio At The Concertgebouw 1957
2-1 The Lady Is A Tramp
2-2 We'll Be Together Again
2-3 Bluesology
2-4 Budo
2-5 I've Got The World On A String
2-6 Daahoud
2-7 When The Lights Are Low
2-8 Evrev

Oscar Peterson (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass)
Recorded live at the Civic Opera House, Chicago, September 29,
1957

 
The Jazz Soul Of Oscar Peterson
2-9 Liza
2-10 Con Alma
2-11 Close Your Eyes
2-12 The Maidens Of Cadiz
2-13 My Heart Stood Still

Oscar Peterson (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
Recorded in July/August 1959

CD 3

On The Town 1958
3-1 Sweet Georgia Brown
3-2 Should I?
3-3 When The Lights Are Low
3-4 Easy Listening Blues
3-5 Pennies From Heaven
3-6 The Champ
3-7 Moonlight In Vermont

Oscar Peterson (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass)
Recorded Live at the Town Tavern Club, Toronto July 5, 1958

 
CD 4

Jazz Giant's '58 - 1958
4-1 Chocolate Sundae
4-2 When Your Lover Has Gone
4-3 Candy
4-4 Ballade- Lullaby Of The Leaves, Makin' Whoopee, It Never Entered My Mind.
4-5 Woodyn' You

Stan Getz (tenor sax), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Harry Edison (trumpet), Oscar Peterson (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass), Louis Bellson (drums)
Recorded in August 1, 1957

CD 5

The Modern Jazz Quartet And The Oscar Peterson Trio At The Opera House 1957
5-1 D & E Blues
5-2 Now's The Time
5-3 Round About Midnight
5-4 Should I?
5-5 Big Fat Mama
5-6 Indiana
5-7 Joy Spring
5-8 Elevation

Milt Jackson (vibraphone), John Lewis (piano), Percy Heath (bass),
Connie Kay (drums) (1-3)
Oscar Peterson (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass) (4-7)
Recorded at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, October 9, 1957

Swinging Brass With The Oscar Peterson Trio & Russell Garcia Orchestra
5-9 Stockholm Sweetnin'
5-10 Blues For Big Scotia
5-11 Close Your Eyes
5-12 Spirit Feel
5-13 Cubana Chant
5-14 Con Alma
5-15 O.P.
5-16 Little Pea's Blues

Oscar Peterson (piano), Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass), Russell
Garcia (conductor, arranger), Buds Shank (alto sax on track 16)
Recorded in 1959

CD 6

Oscar Peterson Plays The Duke Ellington Songbook 1959
6-1 Cotton Tail
6-2 Just A Sit-in' And A-rockin
6-3 Take The A Train
6-4 John Hardy's Wife
6-5 Sophisticated Lady
6-6 Don't Get Around Much Anymore
6-7 Rockin' In Rhythm
6-8 Prelude To A Kiss
6-9 In A Mellow Tone
6-10 Things Ain't What They Used To Be
6-11 I Got It Bad
6-12 Do Nothing 'Till You Hear From Me

All music composed by Duke Ellington
Oscar Peterson (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
Recorded in July/August, 1959

CD 7

Oscar Peterson Plays The George Gershwin Songbook 1959
7-1 It Ain't Necessarily So
7-2 The Man I Love
7-3 Love Walked In
7-4 I Was Doing All Right
7-5 A Foggy Day
7-6 Oh, Lady Be Good
7-7 Our Love Is Here To Stay
7-8 They All Laughed
7-9 Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
7-10 Summertime
7-11 Nice Work If You Can Get It
7-12 Shall We Dance

All music composed by George Gershwin
All Lyrics by Ira Gershwin exept Track 10 (DuBose/Heyward)
Oscar Peterson (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
Recorded in July/August, 1959

Oscar Peterson Plays The Harold Arlen Songbook
7-13 As Long As I Live
7-14 Come Rain Or Come Shine
7-15 Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
7-16 Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
7-17 I've Got The World On A String
7-18 That Old Black Magic
7-19 Let's Fall In Love
7-20 Stormy Weather
7-21 Over The Rainbow
7-22 Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
7-23 The Man That Got Away
7-24 Ill Wind

Oscar Peterson (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
Recorded in July/August, 1959

CD 8

Oscar Peterson Plays The Jerome Kern Songbook 1959
8-1 I Won't Dance
8-2 Bill
8-3 The Song Is You
8-4 A Fine Romance
8-5 Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
8-6 Ol' Man River
8-7 Long Ago (and Far Away)
8-8 Lovely To Look At
8-9 Pick Yourself Up
8-10 Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
8-11 The Way You Look Tonight
8-12 Yesterdays

All Music composed by Jerome Kern
Oscar Peterson (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
Recorded in July/August, 1959

Oscar Peterson Plays The Cole Porter Songbook
8-13 In The Still Of The Night
8-14 It's Alright With Me
8-15 Love For Sale
8-16 Just One Of Those Things
8-17 I've Got You Under My Skin
8-18 Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
8-19 Night And Day
8-20 You'd Be So Easy To Love
8-21 Why Can't You Behave
8-22 I Love Paris
8-23 I Concentrate On You
8-24 It's De-Lovely

All Titles written and composed by Cole Porter
Oscar Peterson (piano), Ray Brown (bass),
Ed Thigpen (drums)
Recorded in July/August, 1959

CD 9

Oscar Peterson Plays Porgy And Bess 1959
9-1 I Got Plenty O'Nuttin
9-2 I Wants To Stay Here
9-3 Summertime
9-4 Oh, Dey's So Fresh And Fine
9-5 Oh, Lawd, I'm On My Way
9-6 It Ain't Necessarily So
9-7 There's A Boat Dat's Leaving' Soon For New York
9-8 Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess
9-9 Here Comes De Honey Man
9-10 Bess, You Is My Woman Now

All Titels omposed by George
All Lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Dubose Heyward
Oscar Peterson (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
Recorded in October 12, 1959

CD 10

A Jazz Portrait Of Frank Sinatra 1959
10-1 You Make Me Feel So Young
10-2 Come Dance With Me
10-3 Learnin' The Blues
10-4 Witchcraft
10-5 (Love Is) The Tender Trap
10-6 Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night Of The Week)
10-7 Just In Time
10-8 It Happened In Monterey
10-9 I Get A Kick Out Of You
10-10 All Of Me
10-11 The Birth Of The Blues
10-12 How About You

Oscar Peterson (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
Recorded in May 18, 1959

Anita O'Day - Anita Sings The Most
10-13 S'Wonderful / They Can't Take That Away From Me
10-14 Tenderly
10-15 Old Devil Moon
10-16 Love Me Or Leave Me
10-17 We'll Be Together Again
10-18 Stella By Starlight
10-19 Taking A Chance On Love
10-20 Them There Eyes
10-21 I've Got The World On A String
10-22 You Turned The Tables On Me
10-23 Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered

Anita O’Day (vocals) Oscar Peterson (piano) Herb Ellis (Guitar) Ray
Brown (bass) John Poole, Milt Holland (drums)