Customer Reviews

Plays the Cole Porter Songbook

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
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This re-release by Verve preserves, in my opinion, one of the best trio performances. 'In the Still of the Night',
Peterson's subtle single melody nuances and left hand chords are complimented by Ray Brown's wonderful bass. Ed Thigpen maintains the tempo with his stylish brush technique. The rest of the CD is hampered only slightly by the 'volme' inconsistencies from one number to the next, created by the studio. This is a great CD.

OSCAR PETERSON's 1959 piano tribute to COLE PORTER is a joy even if it's only 33 minutes long.We could have take an another half hour of this music.What makes it so enjoyable is the variety of moods it delivers.There was actually another PORTER songbook recorded in mono,but for a reason i ignore,they did not coupled it with this one to make it last longer.A message to VERVE:did they lost the masters of the RICHARD RODGERS songbook,and if not,what are they waiting for?

Every time I play this CD people ask about it. I have never seen something so universally loved. It creates and sustains a lazy summer afternoon mood like no other.

I belive Oscar Peterson is the finest jazz pianist of the 20th century, and if only one CD could be the essential Peterson collection, this would be it!

This album, these performances, are simply must-own. The music is jazz, but the audience is anyone, everyone. My mother-in-law, who is not a jazz fan (her normal listening fare is, ahem, Neil Diamond), heard this at my home and instantly wished to have a copy of it. That is most unlike her. Fortunately I had two copies of this CD--yes, it's something to do with wanting to have a pristine copy always--and I gave it right then. Oscar Peterson makes converts. And his Gershwin album is a lovely complement to this one, though this is the desert-island absolute fave.

"Oscar Peterson plays the best ivory box I've ever heard." ~ Count Basie ~

This is one of the Songbook series that Oscar Peterson recorded in 1950s under the production of Norman Granz of Verve Records. And if you love the standards from the Great American Songbook, this CD "Oscar Peterson Plays The Cole Porter Songbook" will delight your auditory sense to the fullest. Listening to Peterson play his favorite instrument effortlessly together with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen as they perform a dozen of Cole Porter staples is "just one of those things" that truly adds joy to any listener's musical adventure.

I share Count Basie's sentiment when he said that "Peterson plays the best ivory box he has ever heard." Some of the finest jazz pianists today singled him out as a great influence to their technique. One of them is the recently declared Grammy Award winner, Herbie Hancock, who once said and I quote: "Oscar Peterson is the greatest living influence on jazz pianists today." This Songbook album is one of the true representations why Peterson was hailed as one of the greatest virtuosos of jazz piano. He deserved the accolade.

Although I have selected a few of my top favorites, "I Concentrate On You," "Every Time We Say Goodbye," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "In The Still of the Night," Easy To Love" and "I Love Paris," all the performances are equally interesting and flawlessly rendered. You'll enjoy the CD in its entirety. "It's delightful and it's de-lovely!"

Wholeheartedly recommended!

P.S. For more of the Songbook series, please check these out - Oscar Peterson Plays The George Gershwin Songbook, Plays the Harold Arlen Song Book and The Song Is You: Best of the Verve Songbooks.

I purchased this CD after hearing a story about Oscar Peterson on NPR. I first listened on my way home from work the day before Christmas. Perhaps I was reminiscing about my childhood because of the holiday, but this CD brought back great memories of my parents and grandparents, who were huge Cole Porter fans. My grandmother sang Cole Porter songs as we washed and dried the dinner dishes each night, so every time I listen to this CD I am compelled to wash dishes! In all seriousness, this is a great CD of standards that everyone will recognize. My only complaint is the short length of the recording (about 1/2 hour total). It is a great introduction to Mr. Peterson's work, and you will find yourself wanting more.

Look out! It's the Oscar Peterson Trio! I love Oscar and no other pianists can make the keys move as fast as this barrel busting, barn-burning, swinging jolly virtuoso of the piano. Oscar is so amazing, he can fully retire many pianists with just one hand. Don't believe me? Check out his Jazz Icons DVD where he is wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief with his left-hand while simultaneously ripping one scale after another at a blazing tempo with his right-hand. "Plays The Cole Porter Songbook" is one of my favorite Peterson trio recordings. The music swings hard. Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen join Peterson on this classic from 1959, which has to be one of the biggest years in jazz!

This is a delightful album of Porter standards, many of which have turned up in other releases over the years. With Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums, this is my favorite of the Peterson songbooks. While many of the Norman Granz-produced songbooks were geared towards more of a mass market than Petersons' traditional jazz audience, this date worked for both. Best Cut: Love For Sale is a classic. Personal Favorite: It's De-Lovely.

How can one go wrong setting Cole Porter music down... How can the Great Oscar Peterson go wrong either? He didn't. Oscar is a shining example of what makes a truely wonderful, gifted musician. His dynamics, touch and feeling are really a joy to listen to. Well done! Enjoy!