Oscar Peterson - Exclusively For My friends

My Favorite Instrument

Amidst the trio recordings of the Exclusively For My Friends series, Vol.4 stands out as being very special. It is Peterson‘s first ever solo album, and in the truest sense of the word, he can totally display his abilities on the keyboard, inspired by the ideal recording conditions he found in Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer‘s Villingen studio. Not without reason, these recordings are still regarded as a revelation to Peterson fans today, because all of his skills can be ideally studied across the nine tracks. There are the magnificent, Art Tatum indebted runs of „Someone to Watch over Me“, the fervid and intricate rhythms of „Perdido“, and the smart pedal work of „Body and Soul“. In „Bye, Bye Blackbird“, he develops a showcase of themes and improvisation, while the lovely miniature „Lulu‘s Back in Town“ is presented full of humour. He reveals which tricks can lend an evergreen personal notes on „Take the ‚A‘ Train“. But the quiet side of Peterson is also there, with the sensitive reflection of „Who Can I Turn To“, or the overwhelming nocturnal tenderness of „Little Girl Blue“. „The best jazz piano album ever made“ was the ­contemporary verdict of Canadian author, Gene Lees.

Oscar Peterson - piano solo

Label: MPS