So I listened to a lot of bluegrass on this Twang Tuesday but at one point this morning when I was doing some writing and the bluegrass was put on hold and I listened to some jazz. I put on something different and listened to A Night on the Town an album by the Oscar Peterson Trio featuring Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and of course Oscar Peterson on piano. Now I have listened to Oscar Peterson before and am not really a big fan mostly because I really don’t jazz piano all that much, but this album most have caught me in the right mood because I thought it was exceptional. Throughout the album both Ellis’ guitar and Peterson’s piano were great and a few times Brown’s bass playing was pretty darn good, too! All I know when I listen to bluegrass my foot is usually a tappin’ which it was also doing with this album
The album was recorded at the Town Tavern Club in Toronto in July of 1958 and released on World CLub records an EMI sublabel formed in the 1950s as a mail order record label releasing all styles of music. There were only seven tracks on the album including “Sweet Georgia Brown”, “When Should I”, “When the Lights are Low”,”Easy Listenin’ Blues”, “Pennies from Heaven”,:The Champ” and “Moonlight in Vermont”! All I know is that it was a great listen and will lead me to more of Oscar’s music and I will probably check out some of Herb Ellis’ music! So check it out!
Ray Brown was the first of the trio to pass away He died in 2002 in his sleep, after having played golf, before a show in Indianapolis. He was 75. Oscar Peterson left us in 2007, Peterson died of kidney failure at his home in Mississauga, Ontario at the age of 82. Herb Ellis passed away in March of this year at the age of 88. Long live their great music both as a trio and solo artists.
Here’s the trio with “A Girl in Callico” from 1958.