The third of four Telarc CDs to be released from an
Oscar Peterson reunion engagement at New York's Blue Note club matches together the great pianist with guitarist
Herb Ellis, bassist
Ray Brown, and drummer
Bobby Durham. Although the veterans did not rehearse together beforehand, the repertoire is quite fresh, with five standards being balanced by five
Peterson originals, including "Bach's Blues," "Wheatland," and "Blues Etude." The performance is as strong as one would expect, although the inclusion of
Durham's drums makes the music less exciting and risky than the late-'50s trio recordings. It's worth picking up, as are the other
Oscar Peterson Telarc releases from this now legendary engagement. ~ Scott Yanow