Oscar Peterson - West Side Story

Pianist extraordinaire Oscar Peterson had a tough time replicating the magic of his trio with bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis after Ellis left the group. Deciding that no guitarist could replace Ellis, Peterson and Brown opted to add drummer Ed Thigpen to the line-up. Though there is less of the subtle, instrumental interplay dominant in Peterson's classic trio, Thigpen brings a hard-swinging sensibility to the group, and enables Peterson's piano to really come to the fore.

WEST SIDE STORY finds the trio interpreting songs from Leonard Bernstein's famous score in a jazz context, staying true to the spirit of the originals while opening the rhythms and melodies to advanced improvisation. In the hands of Peterson's trio, "Somewhere" is turned into a gauzy, delicate dream of a song, while "Jet Song" becomes a complex bop workout long on bluesy groove. While not the most spectacular notch in Peterson's catalogue, WEST SIDE STORY nicely showcases the pianist's dazzling, highly dynamic skill, with admirable, swinging support from Brown and Thigpen.

Track listing
1. "Something's Coming" – 3:57
2. "Somewhere" – 5:38
3. "Jet Song" – 7:49
4. "Tonight" – 4:38
5. "Maria" – 4:55
6. "I Feel Pretty" – 4:30
7. "Reprise" – 3:57

All songs composed by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim.