SPOTLIGHT : Oscar Peterson Makes a Sparkling Recovery

OSCAR PETERSON

“The More I See You”

Telarc

* * * 1/2

The subtitle for this new Peterson CD could easily have been “. . . and the All-Stars.” His associates include Benny Carter, alto saxophone; Clark Terry, trumpet and fluegelhorn; Ray Brown, bass; Lorne Lofsky, guitar, and Lewis Nash, drums. Aside from the lesser-known Lofsky, a Toronto player whose first album was produced by Peterson, this is a lineup that amicably spans the history of jazz--from the veteran, 87-year-old Carter to the more youthful Nash and Lofsky.

Remarkably, given the number of styles and manners represented, and the relatively casual way in which the sessions were approached, the music possesses a loose and easy cohesiveness that allows ample room for each individual to stretch out. This is jazz at its timeless best--a fine coming-together of talent, inspiration and interaction.

Peterson’s playing quickly dispels any questions about his recovery from the severe stroke he suffered in the spring of 1993. But recovery apparently has taken a while. “The first day I sat at the piano with my therapist,” he explains in the program notes, “I had tears in my eyes. I couldn’t even play my original ‘Love Ballade,’ which even a child can play.”

He has no problems here, however. On the opening track, “In a Mellow Tone,” Peterson simply swings from note one, surging through his solo with an unstoppable vitality, tossing in one of Dizzy Gillespie’s favorite licks just for fun, and creating an effervescent enthusiasm that, appropriately, sets the tone for the entire CD. On “Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You” and “Ron’s Blues,” he defines soul-funk piano; on “Squatty Roo,” he demonstrates his startling technical virtuosity, and on “The More I See You” he reminds us of the rich harmonic sensitivity that underlies his more rapid playing.

Terry, ever the master of crisp articulation, solos with typically declamatory horn statements on “When My Dreamboat Comes Home” and does a tricky self-duet, alternating trumpet and fluegelhorn passages in “On the Trail,” an unusual selection for a jazz album. And Carter’s elegant improvisational overview--especially on tunes such as “For All We Know” and “The More I See You”--produces solos that have the quality of instant, mini-compositions.

Brown is solid, thoroughly honoring his reputation as one of jazz’s most dependable rhythm players, adding a brief but impressive solo on “Dreamboat” and a momentum-generating introduction to “Squatty Roo.” In their less visible roles, Lofsky is effective both as accompanist and soloist, and Nash’s subtle, energizing drive provides soft-spoken but convincing rhythmic support throughout for an eminently listenable collection of music.

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