Plays Tribute to Oscar Peterson

Album review

The more memorable jazz tributes are not the ones that offer slavish re-creations of an artist's work. Rather, the most memorable jazz tributes are the ones that interpret an artist's work and take some chances, which is what happens on The Resonance Big Band Plays the Legacy of Oscar Peterson. As its title indicates, this two-disc set (which contains a 66-minute audio CD and a bonus DVD that discusses the recording of the album) uses the big-band format to salute acoustic pianist Peterson, who died on December 23, 2007, at the age of 82. Peterson, thankfully, left behind a huge catalog when he passed away, and that catalog included some big-band projects. But the majority of Peterson's albums were small-group recordings, and it's interesting to hear Peterson's career celebrated in a big-band setting. The arrangers include Claus Ogerman, Kuno Schmid, and Bill Cunliffe; although Cunliffe is a skillful pianist, he doesn't play at all on this album. The acoustic pianist on The Resonance Big Band Plays the Legacy of Oscar Peterson is Romanian improviser Marian Petrescu, who serves the orchestra well whether he is embracing Peterson's compositions (including "Bossa Beguine," "A Little Jazz Exercise," "Waltzing Is Hip," and "L'Impossible") or songs that weren't written by Peterson but were part of his vast repertoire (such as Rodgers & Hart's "Little Girl Blues," Lalo Schifrin's "Down Here on the Ground," and the traditional British folk song "Greensleeves"). Peterson's admirers will find a lot to enjoy on The Resonance Big Band Plays the Legacy of Oscar Peterson.
© Alex Henderson /TiVo