Oscar Peterson - Exclusively For My Friends (6LP, Box set)
COMPILATION
Oscar Peterson - piano [click here to see more vinyl featuring Oscar Peterson]
Ray Brown - bass (Vol I & II)
Ed Thigpen - drums
Sam Jones - bass (Vol II, III, V, VI)
Louis Hayes - drums (Vol II)
Bobby Durham drums (Vol II, III, V, VI)
6 LP, Box set & Booklet
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g Virgin Vinyl
Record color : black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Optimal Media GmbH
Recorded 1963 - 1968
Label : MPS Records
Original Label : Polydor
Originally released in 1970 (4LPs)
Reissued in 2014
Tracks:
Vol. I - Action
- At Long Last Love
- Easy Walker
- Tin Tin Deo
- I've Got a Crush On You
- Foggy Day
- Like Someone In Love
Vol. II - Girl Talk
- On a Clear Day
- I'm In the Mood For Love
- Girl Talk
- Medley: Concentrate On You/Moon river
- Robbins Nest
Vol. III - The Way I Really Play
- Waltzing Is Hip
- Satin Doll
- Love Is Here To Stay
- Sandy's Blues
- Alice In Wonderland
- Noreen's Nocturne
Vol. IV - My Favorite Instrument (solo)
- Someone To Watch Over Me
- Perdido
- Body and Soul
- Who Can I Turn To
- Bye, Bye Blackbird
- I Should Care
- Lulu's Back In Town
- Little Girl Blue
- Take the "A" Train
Vol. V - Mellow Mood
- In A Mellotone
- Nica's Dream
- Green Dolphin Street
- Summertime
- Sometimes I'm Happy
- Who Can I Turn To
Vol. VI - Travelin' On
- Travelin' On
- Emily
- Quiet Nights
- Sax No End
- When Lights Are Low
Reviews:
"The German audiophile journalist/producer Dirk Sommer commenced work on a project to reissue a six LP set of these extraordinary private sessions, working from the original master tapes....The sound varies somewhat from record to record, but the quality is generally very high with Peterson appearing between center and right speaker and Thigpen and Brown to your left....Peterson's playing dazzles with speed, intensity, eclecticism and inventiveness....Dynamics are explosive and the cutting engineer, knowing his audience, kept his hands off the limiter." Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet
"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." AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow
Ratings :
AllMusic : 5 / 5 , Discogs : 4,84 / 5 , Michael Fremer : Music = 10/11; Sound = 10/11