Customer Reviews

Jazz Icons: Oscar Peterson - Live in '63, '64 & '65

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Oscar Peterson Trio in the sixties with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen was not only Oscar's best trio ever, it was also THE BEST JAZZ TRIO EVER.
There was complete integration, there was total devotion and a closeness that is unsurpassed in jazz. This dvd captures that trio in three concerts.
The earliest in 1963 recorded in a television studio before a live audience in Sweden was fine, but mostly routine, although "Chicago" is great.
The last, taken in a concerthall in Helsinki in 1965, featured mainly trumpeter, vocalist Clark Terry, who did not only great works with flugelhorn and trumpet, but also turned the hall upside down with his, now classic "Mumbles".
The SUPERCONCERT is however that at the Holbaek Jazz Club in 1964 in Denmark.
Oscar, Ray and Ed are very inspired and do long tracks, starting of with "Soon", a hard swinging "On Green Dolphin Street",and one of the greatests versions of "Bag's Groove" ever.
These two are followed by a little too short, but fine "Tonight".
But the SUPERTRACK is certainly: "C-Jam Blues"!
If you can sit still while listening to this irrestible swing: go see a doctor at once!
For over 9 minutes Oscar is a powerhouse of invention, only his long introduction is a gass, Ray does one of the best basssolo's in jazz ever, Ed is razor-sharp, so when Oscar takes charge the mood is set.
This is the best reading of "C-Jam Blues" you will ever hear!
This is Oscar at his greatest, unsurpassed, driving, changing gear, and swinging virtuoso level you can only dream of and this shape is only found in that great "London House Sessions". (5 cd box)
"C-JAM BLUES" alone is worth buying the entire dvd, it will take you completely, and there will be no more questions asked about what was the best trio in jazz.
Because you will know: forever.
Next track is the beautiful "Hymn to Freedom" , but it is sadly ruined at the end by some stupid guy who runs into the mikes of Ray and Ed.
This concert was broadcasted on Danish television under the title: "Swing It Oscar" , well he certainly did that.
5 stars for the dvd and 500 for C-JAM BLUES !
Will somebody in Denmark step forward and please give us the entire Holbaek concert, please.

Go and get your copy TODAY!

Arnold van Kampen, jazz writer, critic, radio host, discographer etc.

This DVD easily lives up to expectations, capturing the warmth, energy, and excitement of Peterson's second great trio--at its best--in a series of 3 European concerts. The disk is a generous 84 minutes in length, and includes 16 different songs. The camera work and sound quality are both very good.

Ray Brown (bass) and Ed Thigpen (drums) were surely meant to play with Oscar Peterson. These 3 guys were so tight! Although you can feel it when you listen to their recordings, being able to watch their interactions and see the energy is a joy.

Guest Roy Eldridge plays a nice muted solo in the first set, and Clark Terry leads 3 fine numbers in the third set--and even sings his well-known, very funny, "Mumbles" to close the set. The participation of these 2 great horn players adds nice variety to the collection, although my favorite tracks are those featuring just the Trio.

Everything is very good on this DVD (except for one brief sound distortion) and the high points seem too numerous to mention. If you're an Oscar Peterson fan, you probably won't be disappointed. If you're not yet a fan of this late, very great artist, chances are you will be after watching this.

Jazz Icons have done it again. They have released a stellar DVD compliation of Oscar Peterson concerts. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant music. There are three concerts: Sweden: 1963, which features Oscar's best working trio of Ed Thigpen and Ray Brown. This concert also features a guest appearence by trumpeter Roy Eldridge who's a legend. The next footage is Denmark: 1964 and features just the trio. Last, is Finland:1965, which features trumpeter Clark Terry, who, if you're a jazz fan, needs no introduction.

I found all of these concerts to be very enjoyable. My favorite is Finland: 1965 for the simple fact that Terry only reassures the fact that he's one of the best trumpet players that ever lived. His improvisations on "Misty" and "Mack The Knife" are just outstanding.

Oscar Peterson proves once again that he's one of the most gifted pianists of the past 50 years. Everything he touched it turned to gold. His classic trio of Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen are also at the top of their game proving that their one of the best rhythm sections of all-time.

I can't wait to see what Jazz Icons has up their sleeves in this next batch of concerts. Anyone a fan of Oscar Peterson or Clark Terry should really pick up this DVD.

For a film that has to rely on materiels from the '60s for both visual and audio source, this is simply put: Perfect! Oscar and his group are, of course, flawless... and the performances are simply moving. It is as if you are right there with them, in the audience. Bravo! Of course, Ray Brown on bass lives up to the name later given to him by Lorindo Almieda: "The Reason." Yes, he is indeed "the reason" there is a string bass. He is my all time favorite bassist of them all. (I am a professional bassist, myself, of over 45 years experience.)

Marc Waszkiewicz
Bremerton, Washington

I saw Peterson play at the Blue Note in NYC a few years before his death. I was seated at the table nearest him. Tony Bennett was sitting at a table nearby. A CD was released of that Blue Note engagement. That was after his stroke and he was very overweight. I don't recall him interacting with the audience. His virtuousity made his playing almost automatic, very different than an entertainer the likes of Errol Garner (be sure to buy the fantastic Errol Garner DVD). This Peterson DVD shows a more sensitive side of him than what I perceived at the Blue Note. The cameras show too little of his hands and too much of his face but in compensation you see a lot of Ray Brown's hands and a lot of views of Thigpen drumming. Peterson has always baffled me because he carries the banner of Art Tatum as far as technique but yet the soul of a Tatum or a Fats Waller seems to me absent from Peterson, even though his technique is at their world class level and he is without question a musical genius. This DVD is a great treasure. I will watch it many, many times in the future. Peterson seems so vulnerable in this DVD as he gives his flat out absolute best effort in three gigs that each occur a year apart. It is more fun to watch Errol Garner who "feeds off his audience" or Monk who wears funny hats and taps his foot entertainingly and even walks in circles during a set. Peterson is not an entertainer, rather he is a musical wonk of the highest order. I can't wait to watch this DVD again soon.

Absolutely essential footage of some of the greatest work from these legends. Can't go wrong with this lineup and thank God the cameras were rolling!