Oscar Peterson - Exclusively For My Friends (1992) {4CD}

Tracklist

CD1:

01 - At Long Last Love
02 - Easy Walker
03 - Tin Tin Deo
04 - I've Got A Crush On You
05 - A Foggy Day
06 - Like Someone In Love
07 - On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
08 - I'm In The Mood For Love
09 - Girl Talk

CD2:

01 - Robbin's Nest
02 - Medley: I Concentrate On You - Moon River
03 - Medley: Waltzing Is Hip - Satin Doll
04 - Love Is Here To Stay
05 - Sandy's Blues
06 - Alice In Wonderland
07 - Noreen's Nocturne
08 - In A Mellotone
09 - Nica's Dream

CD3:

01 - On Green Dolphin Street
02 - Summertime
03 - Sometimes I'm Happy
04 - Who Can I Turn To?
05 - Travelin' On
06 - Emily
07 - Quiet Nights
08 - Sax No End
09 - When Lights Are Low

CD4:

01 - Someone To Watch Over Me
02 - Perdido
03 - Body And Soul
04 - Who Can I Turn To?
05 - Bye, Bye Blackbird
06 - I Should Care
07 - Lulu's Back In Town
08 - Little Girl Blue
09 - Take The 'A' Train

Oscar Peterson has stated that he feels his MPS recordings are his finest. That is quite a statement considering the huge amount of records that the pianist has produced through the past 50 years. This four-CD set reissues the music from six of his MPS LPs: Action, Girl Talk, The Way I Really Play, My Favorite Instrument, Mellow Mood, and Travelin' On. While some of the performances feature the 1963 trio he had with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen, most of the music dates from 1967-1968 and matches Peterson with bassist Sam Jones and either Louis Hayes or Bobby Durham on drums. A special treat is Peterson's first unaccompanied solo album, which fills up the final CD. Peterson's many fans know what to expect in this set, while other listeners need to discover him to realize what all of the fuss was about. Quite simply, Oscar Peterson has long been one of the greatest pianists the world has ever known; this reissue offers plenty of proof.~ Scott Yanow