Keithabigail

musichistory:

“Tangerine” by The Oscar Peterson Trio [1962]

Random Music History Song of the Day

Oscar Peterson set the standard for jazz trio, an improvisation-heavy style of jazz (as opposed to, say, big band swing). The first jazz trios formed in the swing era, with the most notable early trios being those of Benny Goodman (with drummer Gene Krupa and pianist Teddy Wilson) and Nat “King” Cole (with guitarist Oscar Moore and Wesley Prince on double bass). Oscar Peterson’s famed trio, together for six years in the 1950s, consisted of Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis on guitar. The trio mastered playing off one another and each musician took a roughly equal share of lead and supporting roles.

This recording comes from a slightly later trio, with Ed Thigpen’s drums replacing Ellis’ guitar. The trio’s recording of “Tangerine,” a Johnny Mercer tune from the early ’40s, appeared as the second track on their 1962 album Affinity. The performance shows that, unlike his earlier trio, this group of musicians put the focus more on Peterson. That’s fine by me since Oscar Peterson was one of the best pianists in the history of jazz. He could make anything and everything swing. *sigh* So good.