Artist: Oscar Peterson
Genre: Bebop
Grade: A
Oscar Peterson’s piano is expressive yet quaint — never saying too much, but never saying too little. And never enough is never a problem. Backed by lush string accompaniment, Peterson finds himself in a romantic mood, providing perfect understated counterpoint to the sweeping orchestral embellishments.
Sure, most of the songs sound the same. But the sound conveys a feeling — love is in the air — which never wavers over the course of 12 songs and 40 minutes. That’s perfectly fine by me. Peterson is similar to Frank Sinatra in the way he completely devotes himself to a tune — one of the great interpreters in jazz history.
Despite gorgeous orchestration reminiscent of Charlie Parker with Strings, Peterson’s piano is prominent without ever being dominant. It is, without a doubt, his finest studio LP and one of the more underrated hidden gems in the jazz catalogue.