Oscar peterson again?

I really like



and although not exactly in the same vein these are 2 I keep going back to






SJB

you cant go wrong with 'night train...'

enjoy
ken

thanks so far.
are there any other good jazz pianists?

quote:

Originally posted by liam:
are there any other good jazz pianists?

Now there's a loaded question! The answer is: Yes, there are loads of "other good jazz pianists."

But I assume you meant other good jazz pianists akin to Oscar, and the answer is still yes: Phineas Newborn Jr. and Gene Harris. The former tends toward the more virtuosic side of the continuum, the latter tends toward the more blues side, although both have great chops (technique) and are well versed in the blues.

Fred

quote:

...although both have great chops (technique) and are well versed in the blues.

i thought the term 'chops' was only applied to us trumpet/brass players (please interpret "us" loosely!)... but interesting to see that it applies to piano as well...

I shall seek out your suggestions of Oscar-like jazz pianists ---


enjoy
ken

In the wider world of Jazz piano ther are some greats you should sample who have uniques styles of their own. In particular:

Bill Evans:- try "Portrait of.." or "Everybody digs Bill Evans" or Waltz for Debbie"

Thelonius Monk:- try "Criss Cross"

Eroll Garner:- try "One world concert"

Duke Ellington:- try "Side by Side" with Johnny Hodges

Each is different some more accessible than others but all worth getting one album/cd of.


In the wider world of mainstream jazz of the easier to listen to variety try anything with any of the following involved.

Ben Webster
Coleman Hawkins
Lester Young
Clark Terry
Chet Baker
Gerry Mulligan
Cannonball Adderly
Bennie Green
Dexter Gordon

...and of course many many more.

regards
Geoff

quote:

Originally posted by ken c:

quote:

...although both have great chops (technique) and are well versed in the blues.

i thought the term 'chops' was only applied to us trumpet/brass players (please interpret "us" loosely!)... but interesting to see that it applies to piano as well...

It's true that the slang term "chops" originally applied only to instrumentalists who use their mouth in playing their instrument, especially, as you note, brass players ... "man, do my chops hurt!" But its usage has since expanded to mean physical technique on any instrument, and has so for many decades now, especially in jazz.

But, in fact, it's used in areas other than music, such as boxing/fighting ... "he hit him right in the chops." It's now also used to mean acumen in any area, such as "He may want to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, but does he really have the chops to do so?" It's one of those words appropriated from hipster/jazz slang, like "gig," that has since been assimilated into mainstream language usage.

Fred

Very good Fred. Language is constantly evolving. tho I hate to even consider what's happening now with hipster usage and creative slang, and digital text messaging.

glenn

quote:

But its usage has since expanded to mean physical technique on any instrument, and has so for many decades now, especially in jazz.

fred, great explanation, you certainly seem to have the chops for the lingo...

enjoy
ken

quote:

Originally posted by ken c:
fred, great explanation, you certainly seem to have the chops for the lingo...

Dig it.

Fred

I second Phineas Newborn, one of the great unsung pianists. Try "A World of Piano" on Original Jazz Classics-magnificant recording.

Also Junior Mance, another great blues based jazz pianist. Try "Junior's Blues" on OJC

Finally, Ray Bryant is yet another fantastic blues based jazz pianist--try "Blues Alone" or "Ray Bryant Trio"on OJC

Night train does indeed hit the list of jazz "stonkers". If you like that you may just like:

Duke Pearson - Sweet Honey Bee
Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder
Blue Mitchell - Down with it
Lou Donaldson - Gravy Train

Gary

There are hundreds of Oscar recordings. Some of the best are with Neils orsted-Hennings-Pedersen, a Bass virtuoso who sadly died a year or so ago.
- Nigerian Market place - being one of many they recorded together.

Oscar peterson in Russia is a splendid double album of him live.

An earlier set of recordings from the 70's recorded at the home of one of his swiss friends and produced by Norman Granz is probably Oscar at his best- ACTION is the name of one the albums.

Finally from the early years anything recorded with Barney Kessel - simply awsome


Other Jazz pianist not mentioned in other posts are - George Shearing - Particularly playing with Bryan Torff - another Bass virtuoso.

Art Tatum - technically and musically probably one of the great improvisers/pianists of the 20th century if not of all time.

Oscar with Clark Terry - Trio + 1 is outstanding
Very Tall with Milt Jackson also great.
Oscar Peterson plays Porgy and Bess has some amazing tracks.

For non Oscar stuff, try Horace Silver's "Song for my father" and Sonny Rollins "Saxophone Colossus" are both exceptional

A couple of observations…

The set of recordings that jamjar refers to is a six album collection (Volumes I – VI, unsurprisingly) under the generic title “Exclusively for my friends”. The title he mentions, “Action” is Vol. I and the others are:

Vol II – “Girl Talk”;
Vol. III – “The Way I Really Play”;
Vol. IV – “My Favorite Instrument”;
Vol. V – “Mellow Mood”; and
Vol VI – “Travelin’ On”.

These were recorded, over several annual sessions starting in 1963, at the home of Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. They were not released until some time later owing to Peterson’s exclusive contractual arrangements with a major recording company. It was originally intended to be a four album set, but grew from there.

Rumour has it that Peterson regards this collection, and Vol. III in particular, as some of his best work. All I can say is that it took me over three years to track down mint and unplayed vinyl copies of each of the six titles – and it was worth the time, cost and effort: fabulous stuff. Get hold of them if you can.

Secondly, I find it curious that no one has mentioned the Chairman of the Board, Count Basie, in this thread. In particular, there are two albums of Oscar Peterson and Count Basie playing together, under the titles “Satch & Josh” and “Satch & Josh Again”. These, too, are well worth tracking down.

Dan

Traveling Dan is right on regarding the German sessions. I have a lot of OP , and I also rate "The Way I Really Play" as the all time single best OP on record. The rest of the black forest sessions are very good, but that album is in another league.

Thanks Dan for reminding me of the album names of the For My Friends sets - I don't own them all but have heard most of them - Fantastic.

Check out "The Timekeepers" and "The Sound of the Trio". I prefer both to "Night Train".

If anybody wants to get the "Exclusively for my friends" set Dan talks about they are available in SACD/CD's which are excellent if a bit expensive. The CD layer plays fine in a normal CD player and in spite of comments about some SACD's these have very good quality CD layers.
Obviously i would love the Vinyl versions but these are a good substitute.

There is an LP available called "The lost Tapes" recorded at the same location and time frame which is also excellent.

BTW Dan are you sure the LP's with "Satch" in the title don't refer to Louis Satchmo Armstrong rather than Count Basie?

Oscar of course recorded with both at different times.

regards
Geoff

Geoff--I was tempted to get the remastered SACD of The Way I Really Play" because I love the music so much, and I know you said it plays fine on a regular CD player (I don't have SACD). Then for the life of me I can't understand why the CD cover would not be labeled Hybrid CD if it will play in either format. Just weird.

quote:

Originally posted by JRHardee:
Check out "The Timekeepers" and "The Sound of the Trio". I prefer both to "Night Train".

Never could get the fuss about "Night Train". Had it on LP more than 30 years ago (sold it), then on CD in the early '90s, again got rid of it. Always put me to sleep. One of the most overrated, boring albums in jazz, IMO (and I have probably 40-50 Peterson albums).

Geoff P - Yes, I’m absolutely sure. The following is taken from the text on the back of the LP cover:

“Producer’s Note: I think I had better explain the title, “Satch” and “Josh”. Normally, I don’t like inside jokes in something which is for the general public, but in this case since the storyteller is Bill Basie I am accepting it; also, it happens to be a funny story.

The “Satch” stands for Satchel Paige and the “Josh” stands for Josh Gibson. These two gentlemen were, respectively, among the greatest pitchers and hitters in the history of … baseball.

… Satchel Paige was pitching for a team that was going to play against the team for which Josh Gibson performed and Satchel was, in those days, bad; in fact, the baddest. Gibson saw Paige a few days before the game and said, “Look, Satch, next Sunday my mother’s going to be in the stands and I’d really like to hit one good one for her, so why don’t you kind of ease up and give me a good pitch as a favor.” Satch replied, “Don’t worry about a thing, buddy, you leave it to me.”

Well, the game began and Josh came to bat against Satch. Satch fired the first one right past Josh. Strike one. Josh cried out, “Hey, Satch, remember what you promised me.” Satch didn’t say a word; burned the second one right past Josh. Strike two. Josh, in anguish, cried, “Hey, come on Satch, my mother’s in the stands, give me a good one, remember what you promised me.”

Now here comes the difficult part because at this point Basie, imitating Satch, closes his eyes, shakes his head, saying “No way, no way,” as he fired the third strike.

The point that Basie was making is that in this album, he places Satch for Oscar Peterson and himself, modestly, for Josh Gibson but the truth of it is that in this album Oscar not only achieves his strike outs but at the same time Basie hits his home run.”


Oldnslow - I could not agree more. I have quite a few Oscar Peterson recordings but “The Way I Really Play” is the undisputed jewel in the crown.

Going off on a slight tangent, for those who enjoy piano trio jazz I can strongly recommend Jacques Loussier. He does excellent jazz versions of Bach’s music (mainly) as well as a little Vivaldi and Debussy – wonderful late night, mellow listening.

Dan

Dan

WOW! I had the wrong Satch

quote:

Then for the life of me I can't understand why the CD cover would not be labeled Hybrid CD if it will play in either format. Just weird.

Oldnslow
I must admit I threw the covers away and just kept the inside books. They don't mention the discs are hybrid either. I just stuck one in the CDS3 to see and was very happy i did.

regards
Geoff

A little off the beaten track is "Jazz Time", Fred Astaire singing standards which debuted in his movies over the years, backed by an Oscar Peterson sextet. There are a couple of great instrumentals at the end, as well as one in which Fred doesn't sing, but accompanies by tap dancing.

http://www.daedalusbooks.com/Products/Detail.asp?Produc...zz%2Btime%26Media%3D

There's an interview with O.P. in the 8/29 issue of the Wall Street Journal which might be worth a look.