Oscar Peterson Night Train CD

Additional Tracks

Oscar Peterson Trio: Oscar Peterson (piano); Ray Brown (bass); Ed Thigpen (drums).
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California on December 16, 1962.
Verve's Master Edition of the Oscar Peterson Trio date released as Night Train includes stately covers of blues and R&B standards like "The Honeydripper," "C-Jam Blues," "Georgia on My Mind," "Bags' Groove," "Moten Swing," and "Things Ain't What They Used to Be." Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen provide tight accompaniment, and there are six previously unavailable tracks recorded the same day, including "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" and "Volare," as well as alternate takes of "Happy-Go-Lucky Local" and "Moten Swing." ~ John Bush
Master jazz pianist Oscar Peterson had his longest-running trio with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen, and NIGHT TRAIN may be their finest moment. The repertoire here is comprised mostly of standards, although the choices seem deliberate. In treatments of jazz chestnuts like "C-Jam Blues" and "Georgia On My Mind," the trio works inside these well-known songs, painting over familiar colors and re-working traditional melodies, while staying true to the spirit of each tune. The chemistry between Thigpen, Brown, and Peterson is unassailable. Peterson, in particular, is at the top of his game here, running the whole history of jazz through his dexterous, nimble fingers with an in-the-pocket ease not always apparent on his earlier recordings.
NIGHT TRAIN was produced by Norman Granz, who had already sold Verve Records to MGM, but continued to record his favorite artists, of whom Peterson was one. The production is superb, and translates especially well via remastering. The Verve re-issue features additional tracks, including alternate takes, rehearsals, full versions of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" and "Volare," and an incomplete take of Charlie Parker's "Now's the Time." New packaging, expanded liner notes, and photographs make the 1997 CD version of NIGHT TRAIN a keeper.

Down Beat (9/97, p.54) - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...[Peterson's] speed and flow are spotlit and the trio fits together with unparalleled grace..."