Oscar Peterson - Recital (1954)

Review by Ken Dryden

Oscar Peterson is heard with several different small groups on this compilation of early-'50s recordings. Two relatively short-lived trios are represented, with four tracks featuring bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Barney Kessel, the most lyrical yet subdued selections of this album. Kessel takes a prominent role in the loping "Pompton Turnpike," while the influence of the Nat King Cole Trio on Peterson is a bit obvious in "Cherokee." The blues-drenched take of "Willow Weep for Me" features Irving Ashby (who briefly served in the trio prior to Kessel's arrival) on guitar. On the flip side, Herb Ellis is the guitarist and drummer Louis Bellson is added, with the now expanded quartet sounding a bit more extroverted in its workouts (particularly in "Singin' in the Rain"), as the addition of Ellis seems to stimulate Peterson to greater heights. The music in this anthology has been reissued sporadically, but most of it has not been available at all for decades, so this LP is well worth uncovering.

Tracklist:
1-1 Oscar Peterson - Pompton Turnpike [6:47]
1-2 Oscar Peterson - Cherokee [5:26]
1-3 Oscar Peterson - Willow Weep For Me [3:21]
1-4 Oscar Peterson - Soft Winds [6:20]
1-5 Oscar Peterson - Alone Together [2:27]
1-6 Oscar Peterson - Simple Life [5:41]
1-7 Oscar Peterson - Singin' In The Rain [5:58]
1-8 Oscar Peterson - Love You Madly [6:02]
1-9 Oscar Peterson - The Continental [3:56]