Oscar Peterson - Live in Finland - 1963 / 1965 (2LP, Mono, Box set, Sapphire Edition, Numbered Edition, Clear vinyl, 200g)
Oscar Peterson, piano [click here to see more vinyl featuring Oscar Peterson]
Ray Brown, bass [click here to see other vinyl featuring Ray Brown]
Ed Thigpen, drums
2LP, Box-set, Tip-on Gatefold jacket printed in Italy
Limited to 500 numbered copies
Original Master Tape : YES
Heavy Press : 200g
Record color : Clear
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Mono
Live
Record Press : unspecified (France)
Label : The Lost Recordings
Original label : The Lost Recordings
Recorded at Kulttuuritalo, Helsinki, Finland 1.IV.1963 & 3.III.1965
Originally released in 2026
Tracks:
Side A
- Reunion Blues
- Lady Luck
- It Ain't Necessarily So
- I Loves You Porgy
Side B
- Ill Wind
- Chicago
- Every Time We Say Goodbye
Side C
- Reunion Blues
- You Look Good To Me
- At Long Last Love
Side D
- Mack The Knife
- Blues For Smedley
- Stardust
- Mumbles
Sapphire Edition® pushes the boundaries of audio media. It is the pinnacle of our latest innovations in restoration and manufacturing processes, without any constraints or compromises, thus delivering an unprecedented musical experience:
- New Master: Achieved with our latest equipment and expertise
- New Electroplating : New mirror-polished stamper. Each presses no more than 500 copies
- New 100% virgin Ultra-clear compound : Ensures the highest possible purity
- New pressing cycle: Allows perfect record flatness
- Absolute quality control: Each copy is carefully selected and guaranteed pristine
Review:
In 1963 and 1965 Oscar Peterson performed at the Kulttuuritalo in Helsinki. He was the leader of what was then considered one of the most closely-knit bands in the history of jazz, made up of Oscar himself and two other fabulous jazzmen, Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums. For the 1965 concert, trumpeter Clark Terry was invited to join the legendary trio.
The Helsinki concerts were both part of whirlwind European tours that included performances all over the continent, from France and Germany to the Scandinavian countries. The band’s tremendous success was by no means due to luck. Peterson greatly admired the musicians he had recruited for their immense technical prowess and creativity—yet he exhorted them further to outdo themselves and strive to create a real osmosis in the way they interacted on stage. What sprang up from this three-way symbiosis was pure enchantment. As Peterson repeatedly said, “It’s the group spirit that’s important. I’m just the piano player.” He often described his philosophy, saying, “Jazz is a very democratic musical form. It comes out of a communal experience.” And delighted audiences participated enthusiastically in this spirit.
Peterson was known as the “Maharaja of the keyboard,” a nickname he was given by Duke Ellington. Contained in every one of his musical phrases was the entire legacy of jazz—the fervor of gospel and the power of swing. Yet showing through the harmonic architecture, the refined polyphony, and his pronounced partiality for form was an immense musical culture. Peterson’s command of all musical genres, together with the group chemistry, empowered him to be, above all, a musician of the moment.
Through a close partnership established with YLE, the Finnish radio station, we at The Lost Recordings were able to gain access to the analog tapes of these two concerts. The tapes were in perfect condition, but we still had an enormous amount of work to do on the audio levels, as the mixing had been done haphazardly. The resulting recording does full justice to these two hitherto unreleased gems.
Sadly, the trio split up several months after this performance. These two concerts reached the musical summits of jazz and immortalized the apogee of what was, and remains, one of the most legendary trios in the world.