Hi Bobvin
You might wish to try Oscar Peterson who did numerous jazz albums dedicated to: Gershwin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, West Side Story, etc. Listening to these, you get jazz but where he has remained recognizeably faithful to the original tunes. Sometimes you get jazz which is such an abstract of the original tune, that the original tune is unrecognizeable. Not so here. If you like Bernstein, Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter...or at least want to hear jazz where you can easily recognize the underlying original tunes, you might give a few a try.
He actually did one album per composer which also helps in case you happen to like one of these.
Yes, Oscar deserves better recognition.
After Oscar Peterson, I probably have more Bill Evans albums next. Brubeck following that. Then a mix of probably 10 artists with 5-7 albums each.I love Oscar Peterson.... but for ballad playing on the piano Bill Evans is still my number one;
To me, Bill Evans is impeccable & irreplaceable.After Oscar Peterson, I probably have more Bill Evans albums next. Brubeck following that. Then a mix of probably 10 artists with 5-7 albums each.
CKTo me, Bill Evans is impeccable & irreplaceable.
I own nearly all versions of silver discs of albums of him.
SACD versions are the best sonic performers for sure.
My breakfast today :
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Great stuff...the MPS recordings were among the earlier Oscar Peterson albums we bought...incredibly well recorded/mastered. Night Train was the very first Oscar Peterson album! As Waltz for Debby for Bill Evans. Just picked up Evans in England which was recorded live at Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club in London.Both Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans have albums available on 15ips 2 track tapes. They were a series of six albums that OP did in Germany for MPS Records in the mid-sixties under the general title "Exclusively for My Friends." The individual albums were titled Action, Girl Talk, Mellow Mood, My Favorite Instrument, The Way I Really Play, and Travellin' On. The tapes I purchased from Horch House were copies of the master tapes that they made under an agreement with MPS. This was back in 2014. I have another OP album on 15ips 2 track tape. That album is entitled Night Train.
Bill Evans famed Waltz for Debby was one of the first 10 releases by the Tape Project, copies made from a one-inch running master taken from the original master tape by Paul Stubblebine. The music is wonderful and the atmospherics of the Village Vanguard, with clinking glasses, etc. makes you feel that you are there. In addition to that tape, I was fortunate to get the companion album, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, which is shown above as a safety master tape. The Waltz for Debby is still available through the Tape Project.
Larry