This two-CD set (originally out as three LPs) features the contents of a single
Jazz at the Philharmonic concert held in Tokyo. There are mini-sets by
the Oscar Peterson Trio, with guitarist
Herb Ellis and bassist
Ray Brown (which is highlighted by "Tenderly" and "Swingin' Till the Girls Come Home"), and
Gene Krupa (in a trio with altoist
Benny Carter and
Peterson), along with ten numbers that feature
Ella Fitgerald (who scats wildly on "Lady Be Good," "How High the Moon," and the closing "Perdido"). But the real reason to get this set is for the
Jazz at the Philharmonic All-Stars (trumpeters
Roy Eldridge and
Charlie Shavers; trombonist
Bill Harris; altoists
Willie Smith and
Benny Carter; tenors
Ben Webster and
Flip Phillips;
the Oscar Peterson Trio; and drummer
J.C. Heard) who, in addition to a seven-song ballad medley and a drum feature, stretch out on "Tokyo Blues" and "Cotton Tail." The latter has a witty and explosive trumpet battle by
Shavers and
Eldridge;
Shavers comes out on top. This reissue is highly recommended as a fine example of the excitement of
Jazz at the Philharmonic in the mid-'50s. ~ Scott Yanow