Review by Scott Yanow
Monday, August 24, 2026
Oscar Peterson • Night Train
Review by Scott Yanow
Friday, August 14, 2026
Ray Brown • This Is Ray Brown
Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one. With a vacancy in the high school jazz orchestra, he took up the double bass.
A major early influence on Brown's bass playing was the bassist in the Duke Ellington band, Jimmy Blanton. As a young man Ray Brown became steadily more well known in the Pittsburgh jazz scene, with his first experiences playing in bands with the Jimmy Hinsley Sextet and the Snookum Russel band. After graduating from high school, hearing stories about the burgeoning jazz scene on 52nd Street, in New York City, he bought a one way ticket to New York.
Arriving in New York at the age of twenty, he met up with Hank Jones, with whom he had previously worked, and was introduced to Dizzy Gillespie, who was looking for a bass player. Gillespie hired Brown on the spot and he soon played with such established musicians as Art Tatum and Charlie Parker.
From 1946 to 1951 he played in Gillespie's band. Brown, along with the vibraphonist Milt Jackson, drummer Kenny Clarke, and the pianist John Lewis formed the rhythm section of the Gillespie band, and their work together eventually led to the creation of the Modern Jazz Quartet.
Around this time Brown was also appearing in Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts, organised by Norman Granz. It was at these concerts that he met the jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, whom he married in 1947. Together they adopted a child born to Fitzgerald's half-sister Francis, whom they christened Ray Brown, Jr. Fitzgerald and Brown divorced in 1952.
It was at a Jazz at the Philharmonic concert in 1949 that Brown first worked with the jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, in whose trio Brown would play from 1951 to 1966. After leaving the Trio he became a manager and promoter as well as a performer.
In 1966, he settled in Los Angeles where he was in high demand working for various television show orchestras. He also accompanied some of the leading artists of the day, including Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, and Nancy Wilson. He also managed his former musical partners, the Modern Jazz Quartet, as well as a young Quincy Jones, produced some shows for the Hollywood Bowl, wrote jazz double bass instruction books, and developed a jazz cello.
It was whilst in Los Angeles that he composed music for films and television shows. He was awarded his first Grammy for his composition, "Gravy Waltz", a tune which would later be used as the theme song for The Steve Allen Show.
In the 1980s and 1990s he led his own trios and continued to refine his bass playing style. In his later years he recorded and toured extensively with pianist Gene Harris. In the early 1980s, he discovered Diana Krall in a restaurant in Nanaimo, British Columbia.
He continued to perform until his death; he died while taking a nap before a show in Indianapolis.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/ray-brown/
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Ray Brown nació en Pittsburgh, Pensilvania, y recibió lecciones de piano desde los ocho años. Después de darse cuenta de cuántos pianistas asistían a su escuela secundaria, pensó en tomar el trombón, pero no pudo pagarlo. Con una vacante en la orquesta de jazz de la escuela secundaria, tomó el contrabajo.
Una gran influencia temprana en el bajo de Brown fue el bajista de la banda de Duke Ellington, Jimmy Blanton. De joven, Ray Brown se hizo cada vez más conocido en la escena del jazz de Pittsburgh, con sus primeras experiencias tocando en bandas con el Sexteto Jimmy Hinsley y la banda Snookum Russel. Después de graduarse de la escuela secundaria, escuchando historias sobre la floreciente escena del jazz en la calle 52, en la ciudad de Nueva York, compró un boleto de ida a Nueva York.
Al llegar a Nueva York a los veinte años, conoció a Hank Jones, con quien había trabajado anteriormente, y conoció a Dizzy Gillespie, que buscaba bajista. Gillespie contrató a Brown en el acto y pronto tocó con músicos establecidos como Art Tatum y Charlie Parker.
De 1946 a 1951 tocó en la banda de Gillespie. Brown, junto con el vibrafonista Milt Jackson, el baterista Kenny Clarke y el pianista John Lewis formaron la sección rítmica de Gillespie band, y su trabajo conjunto eventualmente condujo a la creación del Cuarteto de Jazz Moderno.
Por esta época, Brown también aparecía en Jazz en los conciertos Filarmónicos, organizados por Norman Granz. Fue en estos conciertos donde conoció a la cantante de jazz Ella Fitzgerald, con quien se casó en 1947. Juntos adoptaron a un niño nacido de la media hermana de Fitzgerald, Francis, a quien bautizaron Ray Brown, Jr.Fitzgerald y Brown se divorciaron en 1952.
Fue en un concierto de Jazz en la Filarmónica en 1949 cuando Brown trabajó por primera vez con el pianista de jazz Oscar Peterson, en cuyo trío Brown tocaría de 1951 a 1966. Después de dejar el Trío, se convirtió en gerente y promotor, además de intérprete.
En 1966, se instaló en Los Ángeles, donde tuvo una gran demanda trabajando para varias orquestas de programas de televisión. También acompañó a algunos de los principales artistas de la época, incluidos Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan y Nancy Wilson. También dirigió a sus antiguos socios musicales, el Cuarteto de Jazz Moderno, así como a un joven Quincy Jones, produjo algunos espectáculos para el Hollywood Bowl, escribió libros de instrucciones de contrabajo de jazz y desarrolló un violonchelo de jazz.
Fue mientras estaba en Los Ángeles cuando compuso música para películas y programas de televisión. Recibió su primer Grammy por su composición, "Gravy Waltz", una melodía que luego se usaría como tema principal de The Steve Allen Show.
En las décadas de 1980 y 1990 dirigió sus propios tríos y continuó refinando su estilo de tocar el bajo. En sus últimos años grabó y realizó numerosas giras con el pianista Gene Harris. A principios de la década de 1980, descubrió a Diana Krall en un restaurante en Nanaimo, Columbia Británica.
Continuó actuando hasta su muerte; murió mientras dormía una siesta antes de un espectáculo en Indianápolis.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/ray-brown/
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Oscar Peterson • Trio Encore At The Blue Note
Review
https://www.allmusic.com/album/encore-at-the-blue-note-mw0000112472
Friday, July 10, 2026
Gene Krupa And Buddy Rich • The Drum Battle At JATP
Review by Lindsay Planer
Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Oscar Peterson • Tristeza On Piano
Biography
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Oscar Peterson Trio • Live at CBC Studios 1960
Review
by Scott Yanow
After
recording a ton of music in 1959, the Oscar Peterson Trio only made one
studio album in 1960 (The Music from Fiorello) and was not documented
again until July 28, 1961. This 1997 CD has ten selections recorded for
the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation but not released commercially
until decades later. Pianist Peterson, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed
Thigpen, as usual, swing hard, with O.P. being the dominant force. Among
the highlights of the predictably excellent program are Peterson's
"Blues for Big Scotia," "My Heart Stood Still," "How About You,"
"Cookin' at the Continental" and "Dancing on the Ceiling."
https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-cbc-studios-1960-mw0000596696
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Reseña
por Scott Yanow
Después
de grabar una tonelada de música en 1959, el Trío Oscar Peterson solo
hizo un álbum de estudio en 1960 (The Music from Fiorello) y no se
documentó nuevamente hasta el 28 de julio de 1961. Este CD de 1997 tiene
diez selecciones grabadas para la Canadian Broadcasting Corporation,
pero no se lanzaron comercialmente hasta décadas después. El pianista
Peterson, el bajista Ray Brown y el baterista Ed Thigpen, como de
costumbre, se balancean con fuerza, siendo O. P. la fuerza dominante.
Entre los aspectos más destacados del programa, predeciblemente
excelente, se encuentran "Blues for Big Scotia", "My Heart Stood Still",
"How About You", "Cookin' at the Continental" y "Dancing on the
Ceiling" de Peterson."
https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-cbc-studios-1960-mw0000596696
Sunday, May 31, 2026
VA • Can't Stop Playing That Boogie
Saturday, May 30, 2026
Friday, May 29, 2026
VA • A Raymond Chandler Tribute Philip Marlowe Jazz and Blues Unveiled Favorites
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Lester Young • Lester Young With The Oscar Peterson Trio
Review by Scott Yanow
Defying what has become conventional wisdom, tenor saxophonist Lester Young cut some of his greatest recordings in the 1950s -- that is, when he was reasonably healthy. On this wonderful effort with pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer J.C. Heard, Prez performs definitive versions of "Just You, Just Me" and "Tea for Two," and plays a string of concise but memorable ballad renditions: "On the Sunny Side of the Street," "Almost Like Being in Love," "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "There Will Never Be Another You," and "I'm Confessin'." This is essential music from a jazz legend. [Some reissues augment the original dozen songs with a version of the good-humored "It Takes Two to Tango," which features Young's only recorded vocals, plus a rather unnecessary false start (on "I Can't Get Started," ironically), along with some studio chatter.]
https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/lester-young-with-the-oscar-peterson-trio-mr0003703509
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Reseña de Scott Yanow
Desafiando lo que se ha convertido en la sabiduría convencional, el saxofonista tenor Lester Young cortó algunas de sus mejores grabaciones en los años 50, es decir, cuando estaba razonablemente sano. En este maravilloso esfuerzo con el pianista Oscar Peterson, el guitarrista Barney Kessel, el bajista Ray Brown y el baterista J.C. Heard, Prez interpreta versiones definitivas de "Just You, Just Me" y "Tea for Two", y toca una serie de interpretaciones de baladas concisas pero memorables: "On the Sunny Side of the Street", "Almost Like Being in Love", "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", "There Will Never Be Another You" y "I'm Confessin'". Esta es música esencial de una leyenda del jazz. [Algunas reediciones aumentan la docena de canciones originales con una versión del buen humor "It Takes Two to Tango", que presenta las únicas voces grabadas de Young, más un inicio falso bastante innecesario (en "I Can't Get Started", irónicamente), junto con alguna charla de estudio.]
https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/lester-young-with-the-oscar-peterson-trio-mr0003703509
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Ben Webster & Oscar Peterson • Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson
Another fine Webster release on Verve that sees the tenor great once again backed by the deluxe Oscar Peterson Trio. In keeping with the high standard of their Soulville collaboration of two years prior, Webster and the trio -- Peterson is joined by bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen -- use this 1959 date to conduct a clinic in ballad playing. And while Soulville certainly ranks as one of the tenor saxophonist's best discs, the Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson set gets even higher marks for its almost transcendent marriage of after-hours elegance and effortless mid-tempo swing -- none of Webster's boogie-woogie piano work to break up the mood here. Besides reinvigorating such lithe strollers as "Bye Bye Blackbird" (nice bass work by Brown here) and "This Can't Be Love," Webster and company achieve classic status for their interpretation of the Sinatra gem "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning." And to reassure Peterson fans worried about scant solo time for their hero, the pianist lays down a healthy number of extended runs, unobtrusively shadowing Webster's vaporous tone and supple phrasing along the way. Not only a definite first-disc choice for Webster newcomers, but one of the jazz legend's all-time great records.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/ben-webster-meets-oscar-peterson-mw0000022556
Reseña de Stephen Cook
Otro buen lanzamiento de Webster en Verve que ve al gran tenor una vez más respaldado por el lujoso Oscar Peterson Trio. Manteniendo el alto nivel de su colaboración en Soulville de los dos años anteriores, Webster y el trío -- Peterson se une al bajista Ray Brown y al baterista Ed Thigpen -- usan esta fecha de 1959 para dirigir una clínica de baladas. Y mientras que Soulville es uno de los mejores discos del saxofonista tenor, el conjunto Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson obtiene notas aún más altas por su casi trascendente matrimonio entre la elegancia fuera de horario y el swing de ritmo medio sin esfuerzo - ninguna de las obras de piano de boogie-woogie de Webster para romper el ambiente aquí. Además de revigorizar los cochecitos como "Bye Bye Blackbird" (bonito bajo de Brown) y "This Can't Be Love", Webster y compañía alcanzan el estatus de clásicos por su interpretación de la gema de Sinatra "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning". Y para tranquilizar a los fans de Peterson preocupados por el escaso tiempo en solitario de su héroe, el pianista hace un buen número de carreras prolongadas, ensombreciendo discretamente el tono vaporoso de Webster y el flexible fraseo a lo largo del camino. No sólo es una elección definitiva para los recién llegados a Webster, sino uno de los grandes discos de la leyenda del jazz de todos los tiempos.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/ben-webster-meets-oscar-peterson-mw0000022556
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Friday, February 13, 2026
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Sunday, December 14, 2025
Monday, September 29, 2025
Oscar Peterson Trio • I Got Rhythm
"Oscar Peterson Trio I Got Rhythm Giants of Jazz" refers to a compilation album by the Oscar Peterson Trio released under the "Giants of Jazz" label, featuring the track "I Got Rhythm" alongside other standards like "Back Home in Indiana" and "China Boy" - The album combines a selection of the trio's popular performances, with releases appearing around 1998 and 2001 on labels like JetRecords and Prism -



















