Search - Oscar Peterson :: Motions & Emotions

Cosmopolitan

... | Brooklyn NY | 11/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the slickest, most cosmopolitan Jazz albums ever. There is a lush orchestra arranged by Claus Ogerman, that leaves enough room for Peterson's improvisations and manages to actually compliment his dynamic style. Ogerman was originally from Munich, before he started to work as an arranger for stars like Frank Sinatra, Antonio Carlos Jobim and recently Diana Krall. In 1969 he arranged this album for Oscar Peterson called, which originally came out on MPS, a label located in Villingen, a small town in the German backwoods of the Black Forrest."

Another Claus Ogerman masterpiece

Rob B. | LA, CA | 11/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've loved this record for many years...Oscar Peterson's virtuosity coupled with Claus Ogerman's sublime & melancholy string lines make for a stunning combination. Seek out any record that features Ogerman & you'll be rewarded.

The previous reviewer's description of this music as "cosmopolitan" is a pretty good summation. Wonderfully dated!

I always loved the cover art as well...it took me a really long time to realize that if you turn the cover upside down, it's a picture of a singed stack of paper...brilliant!"

A real joy to experience

Olukayode Balogun | Leeds, England | 08/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've owned this CD for well over a decade now and I still get a huge buzz out of playing it. I'm really pleased to see it's been remastered and reissued. Accompanied by his rhythm group of Sam Jones on bass and Bobby Durham on drums and recorded in 1969, pianist Oscar Peterson with his famous chamber music style, tackles some of the most popular tunes of the day, from Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave", to Lennon & McCartney's "Yesterday" & "Eleanor Rigby", to Bacharach & David's "This Guy's In Love With You". The debate about the fusion of jazz and pop had long already begun by the time this album was recorded but Peterson - and I quote from the inner sleeve notes - "demonstrate[s] with exceptional authority how superfluous and idiotic it is to draw musical boundaries and put up toll gates." Make no mistake, the music might be popular but this is jazz.



Peterson's virtuosity and command of the piano is astounding and his improvisations on tunes that are already well known end up magnifying his gift when one would (pessimistically, perhaps) expect it to be compromised by its 'pop' surroundings. The recording's crowning glory is the magnificent orchestration arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman and while I'm sure Durham uses the bass drum, his touch is so slight (though it could also be the way the album was mixed), it's barely audible. The result is a light and airy sound that is a real joy to experience.



If you are a fan of jazz piano, at least one recording by Peterson in your collection is a definite must. I highly recommend this one as a starting point. It's such huge fun!"