shaft Posted February 21, 2007 Report Posted February 21, 2007 Well, I really enjoy listening to Oscar. I think he combines feeling with astounding technique and joy of playing. I have a lot of his CDs mostly Verve and MPS which I heartily recommend. I lately got into The London House sessions from 1965 (Verve box-set) and the way he used the trio was really revolutionary. They were not just backuppers and timekeepers but really important to the end result. Magic.Apparently they did a LOT of practise on the side to get to this level of skill as a Trio. If I can say something on the negative side it is that I can't listen to OP for a very extended time because I find him sometimes "Overwhelming" in that sense that you really have to keep up with his technique and playing and absorb it can almost be a bit tiring He's the best when you really want to hear som hard swing and just have fun! /Shaft PS. I feel a bit sad to read comments about OP - Hitler - Canadians etc. They go over the top and do not really add to the thread. Best leave them out please Quote
Cliff Englewood Posted February 21, 2007 Report Posted February 21, 2007 Jesus, that's the last time I dig up a thread looking for an opinion on a Boxset. How did get Hitler get involved. Does anyone have the Albums on the Boxset or even the Boxset itself???? Quote
John Tapscott Posted February 21, 2007 Report Posted February 21, 2007 I was about to post when I found shaft already said just about everything that was on my mind! Well put (BTW, the London House recordings are from 1961 and they are excellent, better in my view than the rather overrated Stratford Festival album, which has mediocre sound and some awful sounding "arco" bass from Ray Brown. Great as Ray was, he never did master this aspect of bass playing). Well, I really enjoy listening to Oscar. I think he combines feeling with astounding technique and joy of playing. I have a lot of his CDs mostly Verve and MPS which I heartily recommend. I lately got into The London House sessions from 1965 (Verve box-set) and the way he used the trio was really revolutionary. They were not just backuppers and timekeepers but really important to the end result. Magic.Apparently they did a LOT of practise on the side to get to this level of skill as a Trio. If I can say something on the negative side it is that I can't listen to OP for a very extended time because I find him sometimes "Overwhelming" in that sense that you really have to keep up with his technique and playing and absorb it can almost be a bit tiring He's the best when you really want to hear som hard swing and just have fun! /Shaft PS. I feel a bit sad to read comments about OP - Hitler - Canadians etc. They go over the top and do not really add to the thread. Best leave them out please Quote
Peter Friedman Posted February 21, 2007 Report Posted February 21, 2007 It is a shame that Allen Lowe feels the need to be so childishly nasty in his comments about O.P. It is one thing to indicate that you don't like a musician's playing, but the hatred he spews is unnecessary. If you don't care for Oscar's playing, then don't buy his recordings or attend his performances. It seems to be fashionable these days for some jazz fans to emphasize their dislike of Oscar Peterson's playing. That has always struck me as a bit strange. Oscar may not be everyone's cup of tea, but why does this one person bring out all that hostility? Over my 50 plus years of listening to jazz both live and on record there are certainly quite a few musicians whose playing I don't care for. We all have our own individual taste which is as it should be. If I was to list the jazz musicians whose playing I don't like very much, Oscar Peterson's name would NOT be on that list. I happen to very much enjoy Oscar's piano playing. One of the great pleasures I find in jazz is the diversity of styles and individual approaches to the music. My favorite jazz pianists include Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, Hank Jones, Sonny Clark, Bill Evans, Horace Silver, Bud Powell, and a few others. While I wouldn't place Oscar among my top level favorites, I do find his playing can be highly exciting and can swing like mad. I have a large number of his recordings and wouldn't want to be without them. Quote
marcello Posted February 21, 2007 Report Posted February 21, 2007 Well said, Peter. The London House recording are very nice ones at that. Quote
Hot Ptah Posted February 21, 2007 Report Posted February 21, 2007 I think that Oscar swings, plays with blues feeling, and recorded albums which range from pleasant to exciting. When I saw him live, he played well. I think that his level of technique may raise expectations that something truly spectacular should occur on an artistic level, to match the level of technique. If he had less technique, he might be fondly thought of as a mainstream player of some talent. His technical ability as a pianist outstrips his creativity, but it doesn't mean that his music is worthless. Quote
shaft Posted February 22, 2007 Report Posted February 22, 2007 Hi again, Thanks for the thumbs up;-) Yeah you guys are so right - London House is from 1961...my bad! There are several editions from London House - both single discs on Verve and the great 5-disc box set (now OOP I think) plus a recent release on Lonehill(3-disc). The Lonehills I have so far have not been very good soundwise and I do not know if they "borrowed" the same master tapes as the verve set? I would recommend the Verve 5-disc. Great sound, packaging and booklet a bit more expensive but a sound investment nevertheless;-) /Shaft Quote
John Tapscott Posted February 22, 2007 Report Posted February 22, 2007 I would recommend the Verve 5-disc. Great sound, packaging and booklet a bit more expensive but a sound investment nevertheless;-) /Shaft It was the 5 Cd London House set I was referring to. I listened to the whole thing through about a month ago, for the first time in several years. It struck me again as it did before - consistenly inventive, swinging, and interesting. Basically the opposite to everything Allen Lowe says about OP's playing. I think it may be overall OP's best playing in disc, partly because the Brown-Thigpen group was the best he ever had, (IMHO). Other personal favorite OP recordings include the London Concert on Pablo with John Heard and Louis Bellson, plus the four CD's recorded at the Blue Note in 1990 with Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Bobby Durham (on Telarc). Top-rate mature Peterson before the devastating stroke a couple of years later which diminished his playing quite significantly. Quote
DMP Posted February 24, 2007 Report Posted February 24, 2007 The arguments about Peterson have been going on for as long as I can remember, this discussion would be right at home in 1955. I'm in the pro-Peterson camp, but only appreciated him after Ed Thigpen joined the trio. Obviously Peterson appeals to a much broader audience than the hard core jazz fan, and, as we all know, this means trouble! The comment above concerning Monk's piano playing would make a good topic. Like Count Basie, Monk appeared to have limited technique (key word: "appeared"), but had a style that was perfect for his music. I've heard Peterson (in concert) talk about Monk in glowing terms, though. Quote
marcello Posted February 24, 2007 Report Posted February 24, 2007 Oscar Peterson - Ali and Frazier Jam Montreux (1977) Quote
thomastreichler Posted July 11, 2007 Report Posted July 11, 2007 I would recommend the Verve 5-disc. Great sound, packaging and booklet a bit more expensive but a sound investment nevertheless;-) /Shaft It was the 5 Cd London House set I was referring to. I listened to the whole thing through about a month ago, for the first time in several years. It struck me again as it did before - consistenly inventive, swinging, and interesting. Basically the opposite to everything Allen Lowe says about OP's playing. I think it may be overall OP's best playing in disc, partly because the Brown-Thigpen group was the best he ever had, (IMHO). Other personal favorite OP recordings include the London Concert on Pablo with John Heard and Louis Bellson, plus the four CD's recorded at the Blue Note in 1990 with Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Bobby Durham (on Telarc). Top-rate mature Peterson before the devastating stroke a couple of years later which diminished his playing quite significantly. I am a big Oscar Peterson fan and have a large collection of his recordings. I completely agree with John's opinion and recommendations, although I would add Night Train on Verve, The Oscar Peterson Trio in Tokyo 1964 on Pablo (with Brown and Thigpen) and On the Town on Verve with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown. Quote
stuartjewkes Posted July 22, 2008 Report Posted July 22, 2008 After having enjoyed a live LP and Duke Ellington Songbook for a while I decided to pop for the Proper Box of OP and I am finding it most enjoyable. Less impressive and exhausting than Art Tatum, who I probably prefer, but very easy to listen to. I love the duo stuff and will probably make myself a few playlists of the different trios etc. Quote
king ubu Posted January 14, 2011 Report Posted January 14, 2011 Just finished my fist listen to what must be the most evasive of all Verve Originals, at least in my hometown... Quite nice, really! Quote
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