Jazz Reviews : Oscar Peterson Turns In Classic Performance at Loa

Like the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Juilliard String Quartet, Oscar Peterson plays his musical game at a level that is virtually beyond comparison. In recent years, he has been heard most often in solo concerts performed in large halls. But this week Los Angeles has been provided the rare opportunity to hear this masterful jazz pianist in the company of two former regulars--Ray Brown and Bobby Durham--performing in the intimate environs of the Loa Club.

Thursday’s opening was a night to be remembered--a night in which Peterson’s always amazing skills were honed to a fine edge, and a very fortunate audience experienced a classic moment in jazz performance.

Peterson, Brown and Durham had no real rehearsal and the music they played was a fairly predictable collection of standards. Yet, from the very first chorus of “Falling in Love,” it was apparent that a unique amalgam of creativity and emotion was taking place.

Peterson’s playing, of course, has always been a virtual definition of the word “swing,” but in this performance he outdid himself. Interacting with bassist Brown and drummer Durham with the precision of a fine-tooled Swiss watch, Peterson built a crescendo of rhythmic impulses that made the body move and the spirit sing.

On “Body and Soul,” he played a solo of astonishing brilliance--one that, had it been preserved on record, would surely rank with Coleman Hawkins’ classic version. Almost as good was a Brahmsian Peterson original, “The Love Ballade,” which he dedicated to a slim and svelte-looking Ella Fitzgerald, who sat quietly in a booth near the bandstand.

Its fascinating harmonic flow and soaring melody suggested that Peterson might usefully devote more time to composition.

A closing medley of Duke Ellington pieces built in intensity from the floating lyricism of “Prelude to a Kiss” and “Lush Life” to a roaring, climactic “Caravan.” To say that Brown and Durham provided impeccable support would be to minimize their contribution. On this night, at least, they were equal partners with Peterson in a quest that came very close to perfection.