Oscar Peterson Trio and his Friends

Oscar Peterson Trio
Oscar Peterson, p
John Heard, b
Martin Drew, dr

Oscar P's friends:
Clark Terry, tp, fh
Zoot Sims, as, ts

Konserthuset, Oslo
May 26, 1981

CD1 7/42:13
1 Misty/Waltz for Debby 09:36
2 intro OP 02:21
3 Squeaky's Blues 06:45
4 These Foolish Things 04:27
5 Body and Soul/Place St. Henri 05:51
6 Lester Leaps In 06:27
7 You Look Good to Me 06:44

CD2 6/48:29
1 The Lamp is Low 06:30
2 Ellington Medley 16:07
3 Over the Rainbow 10:32
4 Memories of You 03:41
5 Old Folks 03:50
6 Weird Blues 07:47

TT 13/90:42

Source: full (pre-)FM NRK recording, mixed for broadcast.
Lineage: Recording from NRK archives burnt to > CD-R (multiple tracks, by unknown) > EAC (rip, track & encoding) > flac

This is a recording ripped from a pair of CD-R's found in a pile of CD-Rs marked as being from the NRK archives. The discs have no markings of issue or source of recording, though they are clearly pro down-mixed versions of the professional NRK-recording of the complete concert.

The simple cover following the double-CD is reproduced as a separate scan. The text on the cover reads:

"Oscar Peterson Live in Oslo with Clark Terry and Zoot Sims
Oscar Peterson's 1981 European Tour ended in Norway on May 26. His legendary performance in Oslo's Concert Hall that evening was to become an unforgettable musical document by an artist at the peak of his career. The prospect of returning home to Canada the next day 'for a rest and some fishing' inspired him to pull all the stops, relax and show off a little. His stunning performance took the audience's breath away."

For parts of this European tour in May (& April?) 1981, Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen played bass. Acc. to DB.Etree the trio with NHØP and OP's friends played at the Treffpunkt Jazz at the Liederhalle in Stuttgart May 12, 1981. When the change from NHØP to John Heard happened is uncertain.

Note that the Oscar Peterson Trio was back for a separate European tour, on the European summer circuit in July the same year. The record "Nigerian Marketplace" on Pablo, recorded at the Montreux Jazz Fest is a result of that tour.

Included is a 256bkps mp3 exerpt of Weird Blues with the full ensemble. The 12-bar blues theme, written by Oscar Peterson, was released the first (and only time?) on record by Pablo in 1986, on "If You Could See Me Now", recorded in November 1983. On this record it is credited to Miles Davis. Clearly this credit refers to Davis' "Vierd Blues".

However, they are note the same. If anything, I would describe "Weird Blues" as a reply to Miles Davis' blues, where Peterson streamlines it and makes evident its underlying structure. Basically what Peterson does is more or less the same as what Davis did with Thelonious Monk's "52nd Street Theme" and Dizzy Gillespie's intro to Monk's "'Round About Midnight". When Miles was asked about the relation of the latter to his own intro, it is said that he replied: "They are the same, I just got rid of the unnecessary notes".

My claim is that with "Weird Blues" Peterson out-Miles Miles Davis. Peterson emphasises the implicit call-and-respons structure in the first eight bars. On the 1986-record, Pe-terson calls and Joe Pass replies. Here Terry & Sims calls out, and Peterson now is the replier. But the first time, after the solo piano blues intro, it would seem that he forgets himself and plays the first call as well.
The 1-min mp3 plays the intro and the presentation of the blues theme twice, and cuts off just as Clark Terry soars away in his solo.

Enjoy!

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Exchange or give away for free, never sell!