JAZZ SPOTLIGHT

OSCAR PETERSON

“Encore at the Blue Note”, TelArc

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This 1990 stint at the New York club has yielded yet a fourth CD by what is billed on the cover as “The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio”--the fourth member of the group, drummer Bobby Durham, gets no cover billing but provides valuable assistance to pianist Peterson, guitarist Herb Ellis and bassist Ray Brown.

Of the nine tunes, five are standards, such as “Falling in Love With Love” and “Here’s That Rainy Day,” and four are Peterson originals--more correctly three, since “Cool Walk” is essentially a cheerful rehash of the old 16-bar blues, “Ja Da.”

“Goodbye Old Girl,” a charming Peterson piece, begins with an unaccompanied solo as relaxed and impressionistic as anything Bill Evans ever committed to tape. “The Gentle Waltz” is precisely what its title implies, despite a few fancy flourishes toward the end.

Ellis’ guitar and Brown’s bass have a few admirable solo moments, but basically their roles are supportive. The 74 minutes of playing time add luster to a name that has been a jazz legend since the Canadian giant invaded Carnegie Hall 44 years ago.

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