Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) from Montreal, Quebec, is undoubtedly one of the masters of the jazz piano. Classically trained, he was already popular in Canada as a teenager in Canada when jazz impresario Norman Granz became aware of Peterson in 1949 and hired him for his his extremely popular "Jazz at the Philharmonic" concerts and tours. When Granz founded his own labels such as Norgran or Verve not much later, Peterson was the pianist of choice for his productions.

Among the most popular and artistically rewarding studio encounters with Oscar Peterson on piano are the recordings with Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Songs like "April in Paris", "Autumn in New York" and many others became immortal in these versions. A four-record musical “biography” of dancer and singer Fred Astaire is a treasure long forgotten. Peterson also shaped the recording sessions with Billie Holiday, which, produced by Granz in the early 1950s, ushered in a new, more mature phase in Lady Day's vocal artistry. The albums with Anita O'Day, the young Toni Harper and the singing drummer Buddy Rich also show why the pianist was on everybody’s first call list. Peterson was a more than acceptable singer himself (and a big fan of Nat "King" Cole), as you can hear on "Soft Sands".

Contents:

CD 1
The Fred Astaire Story Vol.1 & 2

CD 2
The Fred Astaire Story Vol.3 & 4

CD 3
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Ella & Louis Again Vol.1

CD 4
Ella & Louis Again Vol.1 (cont.)
Ella & Louis Again Vol.2

CD 5
Ella Fitzgerald: The Duke Ellington Songbook Vol.2

CD 6
Ella Fitzgerald at The Opera House
Toni Harper: Toni

CD 7
Louis Armstrong meets Oscar Peterson

CD 8
Billie Holiday: An Evening with Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday

CD 9
Billie Holiday Sings
Oscar Peterson: Soft Sands

CD 10
Anita O'Day Sings the Most
Buddy Rich: Sing and Swing with Buddy Rich