Customer Reviews

Tracks

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My first exposure to Oscar Peterson was through this album(in LP format),a gift given to me from my high school music teacher in the 70's. I waited for years for it to arrive on CD,and it's been well worth the wait. Only Oscar's 2nd solo album("My Favorite Instrument" being the 1st),this collection showcases the pianist's versatility in a way that his trio recordings do not. Unfettered by other musicians,Oscar is free to explore his wonderful and complex ideas and harmonies. Oscar's breathtaking technique is on display here,but if you think that that's all there is to his playing,this album will change your mind. "Django" and "A Child is Born" both reveal the quiet,subdued side of Peterson,with beautiful results. "If I Should Lose You" finds Oscar combining his technical prowess with a marvelous lyricism and emotional expression. On "Give Me the Simple Life",Peterson is in full-flight,swinging as hard as any pianist ever has. I defy you to listen to this cut and NOT tap your foot. As a pianist myself,I listen to cuts like "Honeysuckle Rose",with it's awesome combination of runs and rhythm,and just shake my head--it's enough to make me want quit the piano and just be content to listen to this genuis! Well,I've just about run out of adjectives to describe Oscar's playing on this album. If you love jazz piano,this is a must-have for your collection.

First, I want to second Kent Stallard's enthusiasm for this album. I too came to know it in its vinyl form, and also waited a long time to see it in digital format. My main interest is in classical music, and I play, too, mainly Bach and Debussy. In the quieter pieces I can hear chordal progressions that only Debussy could have composed, something that occurs also in the music of 1940s lounge pianist Frankie Carle. So I suspect that the Debussy connection has had some viability with jazz pianists, though I don't know either the field or the history all that well. Tracks was the first thing by Peterson I ever heard, and like Stallard, I too have been disappointed when comparing that disk with some of the trio performances. Though I appreciate Chick Corea--in some of his reincarnations--and McCoy Tyner, Tracks seems to me an inexhaustible musical experience.

It is hard to believe that this album was recorded live, as the right and left hands sound so amazingly independent. This is oen of the earliest jazz piano recordings I heard, and I still think it is one of the best.

It is a great introduction to Oscar if you are not yet aquainted with him.

Each track is a gem, but I especially love
Give Me the Simple Life
A Child Is Born
and
Just a Gigolo

My other Oscar Peterson recommendation is Night Train, where he plays with a trio [his more usual mode of expression].

Highly recommended

This is one of the few Oscar Peterson solo Piano records. Norman Granz and Duke Ellington had been trying to pursade Oscar to record a solo Piano album for quite a while and in November 1970 this was the result.

The man responsible for producing the album was Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer and he deserves a lot of credit. Its one of the best sounding solo Piano records ever produced. The moment you hear the first track you will begin to wonder how on earth all other Piano albums sound so bad in comparison. What does Hans know that other producers don't?!!

As for the playing, well this is Oscar Peterson at the absolute height of his powers. The opening track will leave you stunned:
Amazing locked hands chord work, wonderful single line improvisations. I'd love to see it written out, the speed and dexterity is unbelievable. In a similar but different vein the ironically titled "A Little Jazz Exercise" is another virtuoso display, incorporating Oscars amazing fast stride playing. Still this is what you'd expect from Oscar.

What you might not expect is his marvellous performances of A Child is Born, Dancing on the Ceiling and Django. These are beautifully played and shows a side of Oscars playing that is frequently ignored because of his amazing technique. OK in some of the solos there are quite a few notes, but the reading of the tunes are restrained and subtle. These tracks are also great demonstrations of the wonderful sound of the Piano on this album.

For me this is one of the 5 best Oscar Peterson records you can get - an absolutely essential purchase.

Of all the great pianists,there are many greats,of course.Bud Powell,Wynton
Kelly,Bill Evans, Sonny Clark,Herbie Hancock,Stephen Scott,Kenny Barron,Cedar Walton,Art Tatum just to name a few.They all have there personnel voice,and masters in their own respect.Solo piano is an art in itself.If you want the whole package it's hard to find a solo performance like 'TRACKS'.Oscar is a master block chord player,and ,untouchable in pulling off parkeresque-like octave unison runs, and his unique and recognizable signature voice in the application of chordal structures.VOICINGS! Oscar is the high-priest along with Tatum in the application of alt-dominant voicings within a given setting,you should take notice of his creative genius in the rubato sections during this set,it seems to spur him on,the chords that he lays down always turn my ear,I've been listening to this album for 32 yrs. TRACKS has it all.
Peterson is one of the last giants in this genre.The density and innovation are here for you to enjoy.Check the tag in 'Honeysuckle Rose'.A great example of the application of block chords in 'Give Me the simple Life'and the 'pathos' in' Dancing on the Ceiling',and 'Just A Gigilo'.This gentlemen has huge hands and he utilizes them well,check it out.I wanted to suggest a CD Box Exclusively for my Friends,it's Oscar in his peak years.Enjoy.I hope all of you had a safe and relaxing holiday.Also there are 2 other Cd's I highly reccomend of Oscars.The first is TRISTEZA,and the second is OSCAR PETERSON PLAYS THE MUSIC OF DUKE ELLINGTON.Take note on the second CD,Oscar plays 'Lady of the Lavender Mist',which Duke composed in the 20's,and is very rarely played.Oscar caresses the tune with tender,and very deep-seated affection.Beautiful rendition.If you enjoy solo piano,Bill Evans ALONE,is a real classic.Don't confuse it with
his other piano solo performances which followed this recording.It's entilted BILL EVANS ALONE,and to distinquish from the other Cds,just look for 'recorded in Town Hall',its a classic.One last suggestion,there is a massive collection of Art Tatums,playing solo piano on Pablo.13-14 disks?.Believe it or not,Art recorded the whole package in 2 days,I believe.Enjoy.
Brian Fitzpatrick

We are very fortunate to have a high fidelity recording of solo piano music of this caliber. Oscar Peterson commands many of the virtuosic figures which I once thought were playable only by Art Tatum. Like Tatum, Peterson has shown us that the piano has the power of a whole band. We get Oscar-Peterson-style solo voicings at amazing Oscar Peterson speed. If you don't know what I mean by this, think of the Erroll Garner right-hand style turned into a whole orchestra, and played with both hands. And then adding another hand or two for rhythmic and harmonic accompanyment. Oscar Peterson brings us pure technical competence, and that is not a small thing in itself. But even more than that, he makes the music swing *hard* and he can make you *feel* the beat (even when he's playing off the beat, somehow) and the solo lines (and the subtle chromatic internal lines too, for that matter). The mystery of how this is all possible with just two hands is marvelous, but let's not get carried away with metaphysics. There are also some slow tunes that are no less powerful. The music is great, and will feed the mind and lift the spirits of any listener. Swing on!

I agree in principle with much of what has already been said by other reviewers of "Tracks", however, I wish to signal a note of caution. If you are looking at this album to be a solo performance along the lines of Oscar's Pablo "Solo - live", then be aware that the pace of his playing is very much subdued when compared with "Solo", or much of his trios, and other work. The album starts off in a reasonably "active" state, but as the tracks progress they become far more sedate, to the piont of almost being useful as meditation music.

This is not to say that "Tracks" is not a good album. Oscar does show flashes of his brilliance, and the recording quality is high. Just think of this album as a quickly running stream that empties into a quiet, peaceful lake, and you should have a good feel for what you will be getting if you buy it.

Oscar Peterson varies on the melody, varies on the harmony, varies on the tempo, while maintaining enough of a constant to keep you leaning forward in anticipation.