LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Of the several legendary trios that have functioned under the leadership of Oscar Peterson in the last 50 years, none could match the overall virtuosity of the Peterson/Joe Pass/Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen unit heard in these performances. The band was captured live at Chicago's London House, the scene of definitive recordings a dozen years earlier by the Peterson unit with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen. The present Chitown set serves as a primer in the blues, with three contrasting examples of the twelve-bar form occupying the bulk of the program and illustrating with great clarity how Peterson expanded upon the examples of his models Art Tatum and Nat Cole. Pass and Pedersen rise to the pianist's challenge, especially during the whirlwind "Blues Etude," while the guitarist adds a contrasting dash of reflection on the Ellington hymn "Come Sunday."
Track listing:Blues Etude, Chicago Blues, Easy Listening Blues, Come Sunday, Secret Love