Oscar Peterson

Oscar Peterson's style wasn't fully formed at the time the 78 rpm discs which make up this two-CD set were recorded early in his career, between 1945 and 1949. Sticking mostly to standards and blues, along with a few well-known jazz compositions such as "Flying Home" and "C Jam Blues," Peterson's sound runs the gamut from Tatum-influenced swing ("Sweet Lorraine" and "[Back Home Again] In Indiana") to a boogie-woogie-flavored "I Got Rhythm" and a driving original, "Oscar's Boogie Woogie." He's heard with several different trios, including his earliest regular working group with bassist Bert Brown and drummer Clarence Jones. This 2002 Bluebird compilation updates the earlier supposedly Complete Young Oscar Peterson issued in 1994 by RCA by adding 17 tracks that were originally the master takes issued commercially in the 1940s, but erroneously replaced by alternate versions on subsequent LP and CD reissues. This compilation is likely to be a thorough documentation of Oscar Peterson's recordings for the Canadian division of RCA, as all other music listed on the session logs seems to be lost. The wealth of rare music added to this collection of early Oscar Peterson should make this an essential purchase, even for fans who picked up the earlier edition. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide