Oscar Peterson: The Songbooks

Oscar Peterson: piano, Ray Brown: bass, Ed Thigpen: drums

Disc 1:
The Cole Porter Songbook: In The Still Of The Night / It’s All Right With Me / Love For Sale/ Just One Of Those Things / I’ve Got You Under My Skin / Every Time We Say Goodbye / Night And Day / Easy To Love / Why Can’t You Behave? / I Love Paris / I Concentrate On You / It’s De-Lovely
The Richard Rodgers Songbook: This Can’t Be Love / It Might As Well Be Spring / Johnny One Note / The Surrey With The Fringe On Top / The Lady Is A Tramp / Blue Moon / Manhattan / Isn’t It Romantic? / Lover / I Didn’t Know What Time It Was / Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered / My Funny Valentine
Disc 2:
The Irving Berlin Songbook: I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm / Supper Time / I’m Putting All My Eggs In One Basket / Change Partners / The Song Is Ended / How Deep Is The Ocean / Cheek To Cheek / I Used To Be Color Blind / You’re Laughing At Me / Isn’t This A Lovely Day? / Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails / (You Forgot To) Remember
The Jerome Kern Songbook: Long Ago (and Far Away) / Lovely To Look At / Pick Yourself Up / Smoke Gets In Your Eyes / The Way You Look Tonight / Yesterdays / I Won’t Dance / Bill / The Song Is You / A Fine Romance / Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man / Ol’ Man River
Disc 3:
The Duke Ellington Songbook: Don’t Get Around Much Anymore / Sophisticated Lady / Rockin’ in Rhythm / Prelude To A Kiss / In A Mellow Tone / Cotton Tail / Just A-sittin’ And A-rockin’ / Things Ain’t What They Used To Be / Take The “A” Train / Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good) / Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me / John Hardy’s Wife
Disc 4:
The Harold Arlen Songbook: Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe / Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin’ All the Time / Over The Rainbow / The Man That Got Away / Ill Wind (You’re Blowin’ Me No Good) / Let’s Fall In Love / As Long As I Live / Come Rain Or Come Shine / Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive / Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea / I’ve Got The World On A String / That Old Black Magic
The George Gershwin Songbook: It Ain’t Necessarily So / The Man I Love / Love Walked In / I Was Doing All Right / A Foggy Day / Oh Lady, Be Good! / Love Is Here To Stay / They All Laughed / Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off / Summertime / Nice Work If You Can Get It / Shall We Dance?
Disc 5:
The Harry Warren, Vincent Youmans & Jimmy McHugh Songbooks: Lullaby of Broadway / Serenade In Blue / You’ll Never Know / I Had The Craziest Dream / I Only Have Eyes For You / Chattanooga Choo-Choo / More Than You Know / Carioca / Without A Song / Drums In My Heart / Time On My Hands

CANADIAN EXCLUSIVE BOX SET!!!
The legendary Oscar Peterson, an icon on the world’s jazz scene since the early 1950’s, recorded all of the tracks on Oscar Peterson: The Songbooks in July and August 1959, with the artists that would become to be known as the “classic” trio – Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums.
30 + tracks never before on CD – amazingly, there are still some new things to discover. 5 CDs of some of the greatest standards ever written – Gershwin, Rodgers, Berlin & more - a who’s who of the Great American Songbook. 108 tracks – this is the first time these tracks have been available at a super budget price. Wholenote Discoveries - July 2009
2009 marks the 50th anniversary of Oscar Peterson’s second set of “Songbooks”, available in a new boxed set from Universal, exclusive to Canada. Peterson’s earliest recordings were made in Montreal by RCA from 1945 to 1949 with a trio, not including Ray Brown but with one Bert Brown on bass. In 1949, impresario Norman Granz, on his way to the airport in Montreal, heard a live broadcast of Peterson playing in a local club. The rest is jazz history: Carnegie Hall, Jazz at the Philharmonic, etc., etc. The first group of “Songbooks” was recorded during 1952/53/54 in Los Angeles with Ray Brown and Barney Kessel. Some have been re-issued on Verve but all of them are available on Mosaic Records, priced at US$ 119.00 plus shipping, and duties. This second set was recorded during July and August 1959 in Chicago with Peterson in his usual (usual for him that is, unusual and impossible for others) freewheeling style accompanied by Ray Brown and an energized Ed Thigpen on drums. There are 108 tracks on five discs with songs by Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, George Gershwin, Harry Warren, Vincent Youmans and Jimmy McHugh. The original tunes are never obscured so that even if the listener has not heard them that shouldn’t diminish the impact. This set is a must-have for just about anyone with a CD player. Bruce Surtees

Price: $53.98