Oscar Peterson Action (Exclusively for My Friends, Vol. I) LP

These first recordings with the Canadian pianist were made in a legendary living room session in 1961. After a concert in Zurich, Peterson was guided through the nighttime Black Forest, and was received by a small, enthusiastic group of friends in the Villingen villa of MPS founder Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. And so he can be heard on this "pilot" album from the box set Exclusively for My Friends in a noticeably homely atmosphere with his accompanists Ray Brown (b) and Ed Thigpen (dr). Cole Porter's "At Long Last Love" is bubbling with high spirits, while the two Gershwin adaptations "I've Got a Crush on You" and "Foggy Day" are at times lyrical and dreamy, at others having a tender exuberance. The balanced togetherness of the trio is evident in the ballad "Easy Walker," which is played in an almost outrageously relaxed mood. "Like Someone in Love" lets Peterson refer to his role model Art Tatum with its wealth of modulation and eloquent improvisation chains, but also gives Thigpen space for a great solo. The star of these recordings, however, is without a doubt the rousing, Latin-infused "Tin Tin Deo" with its fantastically rolling figures and flying improvisation chains. The recording on that legendary night in 1961 was the starting point for the MPS catalogue - after it could only be released seven years later due to Peterson's contractual obligations.