The legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson was one of the most admired of his era, his speed and dexterity matching that of his idol Art Tatum, drawing on swing, blues and classical influences in his music. He is perhaps most famous for his recordings with his classic trios of the 1950s, and this 71-track 3-CD collection captures him in that era on a series of early album releases on Norman Granz’s Clef label in which he interprets the work of the some of the most renowned of the Great American Songbook composers. 

The collection features the entire contents of the albums “Oscar Peterson Plays Cole Porter”, “Oscar Peterson Plays Irving Berlin”, “Oscar Peterson Plays George Gershwin”, “Oscar Peterson Plays Duke Ellington”, “Oscar Peterson Plays Jerome Kern” and “Oscar Peterson Plays Richard Rodgers”. On these albums he works in his favoured trio format with bass player Ray Brown and variously with guitarists Barney Kessel and Ray Ellis. 

He is a master interpreter of this kind of repertoire, bringing his special stamp to some of the finest pop and jazz standards, and it’s a great showcase for one of the genre’s most illustrious practitioners.

CD 1
1. WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE Oscar Peterson Trio 
2. BEGIN THE BEGUINE Oscar Peterson Trio 
3. I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN Oscar Peterson Trio 
4. LOVE FOR SALE Oscar Peterson Trio 
5. LET'S DO IT Oscar Peterson Trio 
6. I LOVE YOU Oscar Peterson Trio 
7. SO NEAR AND YET SO FAR Oscar Peterson Trio 
8. JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS Oscar Peterson Trio 
9. IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT Oscar Peterson Trio 
10. NIGHT AND DAY Oscar Peterson Trio 
11. EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE Oscar Peterson Trio 
12. ANYTHING GOES Oscar Peterson Trio 
From ‘Oscar Peterson Plays Cole Porter’ (Clef MGC603) 1953
13. I'VE GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM Oscar Peterson Trio 
14. ISN'T THIS A LOVELY DAY Oscar Peterson Trio 
15. EASTER PARADE Oscar Peterson Trio 
16. HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN Oscar Peterson Trio 
17. REMEMBER Oscar Peterson Trio 
18. THE SONG IS ENDED Oscar Peterson Trio 
19. BLUE SKIES Oscar Peterson Trio 
20. IF I HAD YOU Oscar Peterson Trio 
21. CHEEK TO CHEEK Oscar Peterson Trio 
22. ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND Oscar Peterson Trio 
23. SAY IT ISN'T SO Oscar Peterson Trio 
24. ALWAYS Oscar Peterson Trio
From ‘Oscar Peterson Plays Irving Berlin’ (Clef MGC604)
1953

CD 2
1. THE MAN I LOVE Oscar Peterson Trio 
2. FASCINATIN' RHYTHM Oscar Peterson Trio 
3. IT AIN'T NECESSARILY SO Oscar Peterson Trio 
4. SOMEBODY LOVES ME Oscar Peterson Trio 
5. STRIKE UP THE BAND Oscar Peterson Trio 
6. I'VE GOT A CRUSH ON YOU Oscar Peterson Trio 
7. I WAS DOIN' ALL RIGHT Oscar Peterson Trio 
8. 'S WONDERFUL Oscar Peterson Trio 
9. OH, LADY BE GOOD Oscar Peterson Trio 
10. I GOT RHYTHM Oscar Peterson Trio 
11. A FOGGY DAY Oscar Peterson Trio 
12. LOVE WALKED IN Oscar Peterson Trio 
From ‘Oscar Peterson Plays George Gershwin’
(Clef MGC605) 1953
13. JOHN HARDY'S WIFE Oscar Peterson Trio 
14. SOPHISTICATED LADY Oscar Peterson Trio 
15. THINGS AIN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE Oscar Peterson Trio 
16. JUST A-SITTIN' AND A-ROCKIN' Oscar Peterson Trio 
17. IN A MELLOW TONE Oscar Peterson Trio 
18. I GOT IT BAD AND THAT AIN'T GOOD Oscar Peterson Trio 
19. PRELUDE TO A KISS Oscar Peterson Trio 
20. COTTONTAIL Oscar Peterson Trio 
21. DON'T GET AROUND MUCH ANYMORE Oscar Peterson Trio 
22. TAKE THE A TRAIN Oscar Peterson Trio 
23. DO NOTHIN' TILL YOU HEAR FROM ME Oscar Peterson Trio
From ‘Oscar Peterson Plays Duke Ellington’ 
(Clef MGC606)    1953

CD 3
1. ROCKIN' IN RHYTHM The Oscar Peterson Trio     
From ‘Oscar Peterson Plays Duke Ellington’ (Clef MGC606)  1953
2. THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT The Oscar Peterson Trio     
3. PICK YOURSELF UP The Oscar Peterson Trio     
4. YESTERDAYS The Oscar Peterson Trio     
5. I WON'T DANCE The Oscar Peterson Trio     
6. LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY The Oscar Peterson Trio     
7. LOVELY TO LOOK AT The Oscar Peterson Trio     
8. A FINE ROMANCE The Oscar Peterson Trio     
9. SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES The Oscar Peterson Trio     
10. OLD MAN RIVER The Oscar Peterson Trio     
11. BILL The Oscar Peterson Trio     
12. THE SONG IS YOU The Oscar Peterson Trio     
From ‘Oscar Peterson Plays Jerome Kern’ (Clef MGC623)    1954
13. CAN'T HELP LOVING THAT MAN The Oscar Peterson Trio     
14. THIS CAN'T BE LOVE The Oscar Peterson Trio     
15. IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING The Oscar Peterson Trio     
16. BEWITCHED, BOTHERED & BEWILDERED The Oscar Peterson Trio     
17. JOHNNY ONE NOTE The Oscar Peterson Trio     
18. THE SURREY WITH THE FRINGE ON TOP The Oscar Peterson Trio     
19. THE LADY IS A TRAMP The Oscar Peterson Trio     
20. BLUE MOON The Oscar Peterson Trio     
21. THOU SWELL The Oscar Peterson Trio     
22. ISN'T IT ROMANTIC The Oscar Peterson Trio     
23. MANHATTAN The Oscar Peterson Trio     
24. LOVER The Oscar Peterson Trio     
From ‘Oscar Peterson Plays Richard Rodgers’  (Clef MGC624)    1954