It's impossible to find a small group of
Oscar Peterson's tracks and call them absolute or essential. What the pianist did for the Verve label is too large to pare it down and edit into so brief a collection. These 13 selections give a good overview, and should tempt people just discovering
Peterson and provide an incentive to purchase more. Quite a bit of this consists of his extraordinary trio sides, with a few small ensembles and a big-band track included. Almost all of it is energetic save the ballad "Tenderly," and your hear the virtuosic maestro best during "Something's Coming," "March Past," and "Seven Come Eleven." This was a very fruitful period for
Peterson before he went to the MPS and Pablo labels, but this CD only scratches a very wide surface. ~ Michael G. Nastos