Oscar Peterson was one of the select few musicians, one of the last of a breed, who was world renowned simply for his talents. No gimmicks, no “shows”, no attitude, simply a magisterial mastery of his craft that wowed both fans “in the know” and the casual observer. By the time of this gig in1987, Peterson was a household name, having nothing to prove except that he was the king of his 88 key castle. Here, he’s with his team of fellow virtuoso Joe Pass on guitar as well as bassist Dave Young and drummer Martin Drew, all getting a chance to show how small group swing is supposed to be played.
There’s a 19 minute “Ellington Medley” that is a case in point. Peterson lets the quartet work out parts like “A Train”, while there are gorgeous solos and duos with Pass on “Lush Life” and “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”, with “Come Sunday” a soulful aria before the team pops the clutch for the closing “Caravan”. Peterson is fluid and thoughtful on a solo take of “Waltz For Debby” , Pass is in stellar form for “When You Wish Upon A Star” and a stroll down Peterson’s classic trio days is revisited for a baroque “A Time For Love” and the intricate bopper “How High The Moon”. As far as swing, well, hang on tight for the mercurial ”Sushi” and dig in deep for the “Blues Etude”.
The music comes off so easily that Peterson makes artistry seem almost casual. He’s like the man on the flying trapeze that makes the great leaps seem almost like an afterthought. Making the difficult look easy and the impossible a snap. Trust me, its not that easy, otherwise everyone would be doing it, and if you haven’t noticed, they’re not.