Debut: The Clef/Mercury Duo Recordings 1949-1951 [Box set, Original recording remastered]

Oscar Peterson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 10, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Box set, Original recording remastered
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Hip-O Select
• ASIN: B002IRBGYM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #187,667 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Debut uncovers Oscar Peterson's first U.S. recordings, an underappreciated and hardly-compiled segment of his brilliant career, when he simply played and improvised backed by two of the greatest standup bassists of all time - Ray Brown and Major "Mule" Holley - in the brief period before he settled into his world-renowned trio format. It's is a 3-CD box set that includes all of the Mercury singles that would later be released as the Clef and Verve LPs Tenderly, Keyboard, and An Evening With Oscar Peterson, plus several stray tracks that appeared on various formats. Debut begins with Oscar's literal U.S. debut: a live recording from Carnegie Hall when the 24-year-old pianist, pretending to be an audience member, got up on stage to perform for an American audience for the first time. He returned to Carnegie Hall a year later; all of those rare live sides are included here, as well as a newly-discovered, unreleased live performance of "Tea For Two" and an unreleased studio version of "There's A Small Hotel."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, April 8, 2010

By 

Robert J. Ament "papacoolbreeze" (Ballwin, MO United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Debut: The Clef/Mercury Duo Recordings 1949-1951 (Audio CD)

These are first rate recordings and the sound is about as fresh as anything recorded this decade. I can't get over the fact that these are debut recordings of this giant of the keyboards that date back to 61 years ago. The ties to Art Tatum are very noticeable although Oscar definitely had his own style even at this time. The quality of the photographs and art work are a real plus. A lot of people took a lot of time in researching the dates and the many singles, extended play and long playing albums in which these selections were featured across three different record labels. Many is the time I have bought recordings only to find I already had them under another album name and even a different label.

The music itself is first rate, really displaying the vituosity of this artist. This is a collection any fan of Oscar's will enjoy and should you happen to be a new jazz fan, there couldn't be a better place to start than with this collection, especially if you dig great piano.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Oscar's Duos from the early years, March 3, 2010

By 

Gavin Franklin "gavinf" (Port Fairy, Vic, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Debut: The Clef/Mercury Duo Recordings 1949-1951 (Audio CD)

Oscar Peterson was acknowledged widely as possessing the best technical chops in jazz. He himself acknowledged his debt to Art Tatum and Bud Powell, who also had stunning technique. In these duo recordings Oscar really had to play with everything that he had - a duo is exposed by comparison even with a trio, and requires different skills to the larger ensemble. Every note that is played on these albums is worth preserving as these recordings have achieved. The booklet of photographs of the great pianist at the time of these recordings is a first-rate complement to the discs. It is a super addition to my collection of recorded music.
Gavin Franklin