Peterson has been a consummate interpreter of standards from the outset of his career, a talent extensively documented in his Verve Songbook recordings, but his talents shine in a special light on this 1962 recording of Leonard Bernstein songs from West Side Story. Part of the surprise comes from Peterson's playing with expectations, propelling Bernstein's art ballads with potent dance rhythms or adding rhapsodic breadth to dance numbers. Bernstein's harmonies provide plenty of fuel for Peterson's improvisations, while bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen complement the pianist with their usual balance of poise and power. With a thoughtful approach taken to each of the musical's themes, this is among the most accomplished--and coherent--jazz adaptations ever undertaken of a Broadway score. --Stuart Broomer
West Side Story: Oscar Peterson Trio,Oscar Peterson,Dcc Compact Classics,Gold Discs,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop
Jazz Music:
- What Can I Give To You?
- With Pleasure
- 623 C Street
- A Handful of Beauty
- Alfie
- All Smiles [Import] [Original recording remastered]
- All the Cats Join In
- Alone But Not Forgotten
- Angels Aweigh
- Baden 1966 & Montreux 1971 [Live]
Jazz Music
Richard Strauss: Choral Works a Capella
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15 / Violin Concerto No. 2
Gold [Original recording remastered]
Scottish Tranquility: Piano And Orchestral Classics
Rags to Riches II: Havana to Harlem [Import]
Richard Wagner Piano Transcription