Porgy & Bess

Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, ???????????&?????? | Format: Audio Cassette

Product Details

• Audio Cassette (November 18, 1991)
• Label: Pablo
• ASIN: B00000EP2A
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

Track Listings

1. Summertime

2. Bess, You Is My Woman Now

3. My Man's Gone Now

4. It Ain't Necessarily So

5. I Loves You, Porgy

6. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'

7. Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?

8. They Pass by Singin'

9. There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York

10. Strawberry Woman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A little known classic, April 14, 2002

By 

Louis I. Jaffe (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Porgy & Bess (Audio CD)

I love this album and completely disagree with the first reviewer. To me, what Peterson did with the clavichord is brilliant. At times it sounds like a funky fretted instrument, maybe a mandolin. It's neither harpsichord nor piano. Historically, clavichord predates both. By pressing the keys harder, the player can actually bend strings like a blues guitarist. But clavichord is not a loud instrument-- even an acoustic guitar can overpower it.

Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass are, of course, masters. The playing is top notch (the album was recorded in a single studio session). Harmonically they don't take Gershwin anyplace he hasn't been before, but their assured feel combined with the novel acoustic blend make this album a constant delight.

It probably rates four out of five stars, but I'm giving it five to help counterbalance the extreme low score from the first reviewer.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars PETERSON PLAYS THE CLAVICHORD (PETERSON SUONA LA SPINETTA), December 27, 2000

By 

Luca Terrinoni "Il Topo" (ROMA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Porgy & Bess (Audio CD)

First : Oscar Peterson plays the clavichord - not piano - and Joe Pass the acoustic guitar.

Second : if you know the first thing, we can say this is an excellent disc, because the songs are wonderful and the musician are formidable.

Obviously the sounds are very different than our habits: just the first track, "Summertime", can give you a turn.

Later, slowly, we can understand that Peterson, when wanted to play the clavichord for this recording (in 1976), was not crazy, naturally: the songs from "Porgy and Bess" are some of the most performed standards, another version was needless, if he cannot try something new.

And some pieces are very good, with these instruments: play "It ain't necessarily so", for example, "I got Plenty o'nuttin" , "There is a boat...".

Joe Pass is very good to maintain the romantic tone of music, even if the metallic sound of the clavichord, and his performance is really magnificent.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars unique, December 12, 2007

By 

William Sommerwerck "grizzled geezer" (Renton, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Porgy & Bess (Audio CD)

I'm adding a five-star review to raise the average rating.

30+ years ago, a friend who loved both jazz and classical introduced me to this recording, and it immediately became one of my favorites.

The metallic "bwang" sound of the clavichord (like the piano, it's a percussion instrument) both complements and contrasts with the "plucked" sound of the guitar. I mean no insult to either performer when I say that this is ideal late-night listening. "Exquisite" is not too far off the mark.

Strongly recommended if you want something out of the ordinary. I don't think you'll be disappointed.