Verve To Release Oscar Peterson’s A Jazz Odyssey

  I  

On July 16, Verve will release A Jazz Odyssey, a new compilation featuring the music of legendary pianist Oscar Peterson. The CD is the musical companion to Peterson’s long-awaited autobiography of the same name, published by Continuum books.

The 18 songs on this set showcase two different sides of Peterson’s career. The first nine tracks display his keyboard prowess, featuring tracks from classic Peterson recordings like Night Train and The Oscar Peterson Trio Plays. Such songs as “The Honeydripper” and “My Romance” demonstrate the sheer talent that has established and maintained Peterson’s reputation over the past 50 years.

The second half of A Jazz Odyssey features a Who’s Who of jazz legends, as it highlights some of Peterson’s most memorable sessions as an accompanist. With performances ranging from Billie Holiday’s “I Only Have Eyes For You” to Lester Young’s “Pennies From Heaven,” this collection neatly attests to Peterson’s unmatched skill and versatility.

Peterson’s autobiography, entitled A Jazz Odyssey: The Life of Oscar Peterson, will be published by Continuum books on July 15.



  • Sheila_Jordan_by_Mark_Sheldon_copy.jpeg

    Jordan was a dyed-in-the-wool bebopper whose formative musical experiences were with Charlie Parker.

  • DownBeat_palmieri.jpg

    “I don’t guess I’m going to excite you; I know I’m going to excite you,” Palmieri said in an August 1994 DownBeat feature.

  • Buster_Williams_by_Jimmy_Katz_copy.jpg

    “What I got from Percy was the dignity of playing the bass,” Buster Williams said of Percy Heath.

  • Don_and_Maureen_Sickler_by_Richard_Halterman_copy_2.jpg

    Don and Maureen Sickler serve as the keepers of engineer Rudy Van Gelder’s flame at Van Gelder Studio, perhaps the most famous recording studio in jazz history.

  • 241e91ef-80d3-7409-17b8-d66ab05d21a1_EE.jpg

    ​The Free Slave, Cosmos Nucleus and Sunset To Dawn: three classic Muse albums being reissued this fall by Timer Traveler Recordings.