Two Lions/Mack Avenue Records Release 'Con Alma: The Oscar Peterson Trio - Live in Lugano, 1964'

Two Lions/Mack Avenue Records released Con Alma: The Oscar Peterson Trio - Live in Lugano, 1964 on November 24th.

Recorded on May 26th, 1964 at Teatro Apollo, Lugano, Switzerland, it was the final performance of an extended European tour just before the trio departed for Japan for another lengthy string of concerts. The unheard and unreleased live album from the immortal jazz legend is now available on CD and digital formats as well as an exclusive translucent light blue vinyl for Record Store Day Black Friday.

Pianist/composer Oscar Peterson together with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen possessed artistry at its most consummate level. For more than six years, this assemblage continued to grow and perfect itself on virtually a nightly basis in all corners of the world. As demonstrably evidenced by the thunderous applause throughout the performance, the trio was in top form for this set.

In Peterson’s always excellent programming, the repertoire features two jazz classics, three items from the Great American Songbook and an original.

As always, the music is exhilarating, compelling, virtuosic and, of course, enormously enjoyable. The trio exhibits the essence of ensemble perfection in perfect harmony with the leader’s focus, with Brown and Thigpen fully owning the music without ever losing sight that Peterson is the captain of the buoyant ship. Brown’s playing is exquisite and his solos are marvelous and Thigpen’s playing supports, propels, enhances and scintillates throughout.

Kelly Peterson, Oscar’s wife and deeply committed keeper of his immortal legacy, has tirelessly unearthed these recordings, founding Two Lions Records and, in 2017, joining together with Mack Avenue Records to release the finest of her discoveries. The latest gem under this sterling partnership is their fourth collaboration, Con Alma: The Oscar Peterson Trio – Live in Lugano, 1964.

ABOUT OSCAR PETERSON:

Bestowed with the title of The Maharajah of the Keyboard by Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson was the embodiment of the history of jazz piano. Recipient of numerous honors and awards (including eight Grammys) and the subject of various documentaries, Oscar recorded more than 200 albums under his own name and as “house pianist” for Verve and Pablo Records, and lent his empathetic and brilliant accompaniment to many of music’s most immortal legends on hundreds of others.

One of the most revered and influential pianists even to this day, the upcoming centennial celebration in 2025 will only add new substance to one of the most enduring and important legacies in the history of the glorious art of jazz.

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