In February 1964, the Oscar Peterson Trio recorded The Oscar Peterson Trio Plays for Verve in a New York studio. Then Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b) and Ed Thigpen (d) hit the road. In 1964, the road meant Europe, where Peterson spent a good deal of time performing concerts. In April of 1964, the trio was in Paris and in early May they were in Germany. On May 26, the trio played a concert in Lugano, Switzerland, at the Teatro Apollo. [Photo above, from left, of Ed Thigpen, Ray Brown and Oscar Peterson in 1964, courtesy of Two Lions/Mack Avenue]
Now, Two Lions and Mack Avenue have released Con Alma, Live in Lugano, 1964, featuring the Oscar Peterson Trio performing previously unissued renditions of My One and Only Love, Blues for My Landlady, Con Alma, I Could Write a Book and It Ain't Necessarily So. The recording's sound is splendid, capturing the trio at its peak.
Peterson's piano at this point in his career was fleet and fluid, and the notes seemed to pour out of his sleeves and fingers with eyebrow-raising speed. His ideas during improvisation on the new album are cogent and miraculous. Brown is rock solid and in sync with Peterson's moves, and Thigpen's drums are tastefully on time. He deftly fills space, especially on the hi-hat, and his brief solos are crisp and taut. [Photo above of the Oscar Peterson Trio in what looks like a 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, courtesy of the Oscar Peterson Facebook page]
My most recent posts on Peterson were in September, on the Oscar Peterson Duo recordings (here), and a year go on a live recording in Zurich in 1971 (here). I'm of the belief you can't have too many Peterson recordings. It's particularly gratifying to have this one from 1964, when the trio had a measured, elegant sound and before Peterson's playing widened and became more flamboyant and rococo—not bad, just more explosive and ornamental. [Photo above of the Oscar Peterson Trio, courtesy of Two Lions Records]
Oscar Peterson died in 2007.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Oscar Peterson: Con Alma, Live in Lugano, 1964 (Two Lions/Mack Avenue) on streaming platforms and here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Waltz for Debby...
And here's I Could a Write Book...
