LOUIS ARMSTRONG / OSCAR PETERSON - Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson (1957-1997) APE (image+.cue), lossless

By 1957, hard bop was firmly established as the "jazz of now," while pianist Oscar Peterson and his ensemble with bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis were making their own distinctive presence felt as a true working band playing standards in the swing tradition. Louis Armstrong was more recognizable to the general public as a singer instead of the pioneering trumpet player he was. But popularity contests being the trend, Armstrong's newer fans wanted to hear him entertain them, so in retrospect it was probably a good move to feature his vocalizing on these tracks with Peterson's band and guest drummer Louie Bellson sitting in. The standard form of Armstrong singing the lead lines, followed by playing his pithy and witty horn solos based on the secondary melody, provides the basis for the format on this charming but predictable recording. What happens frequently is that Armstrong and Peterson play lovely ad lib vocal/piano duets at the outset of many tunes. They are all songs you likely know, with few upbeat numbers or obscure choices. It is, however, the familiarity of songs like the midtempo "Let's Fall in Love," with Armstrong's gravelly scat singing, and his marvelous ability to riff off of the basic songs, that make these offerings endearing. A classic take of "Blues in the Night" is the showstopper, while choosing "Moon Song" is a good, off-the-beaten-path pick as the trumpeter plays two solo choruses, and he leads out on his horn for once during the slightly bouncy, basic blues "I Was Doing All Right." Some extremely slow tunes crop up on occasion, like "How Long Has This Been Going On?," an atypically downtempo take of "Let's Do It," and "You Go to My Head," featuring Peterson's crystalline piano. There are the dependable swingers "Just One of Those Things," "I Get a Kick Out of You," and "Sweet Lorraine," with Peterson at his accompanying best. There's a ramped-up version of the usually downtrodden "Willow Weep for Me" and a duet between Armstrong and Ellis on the sad two-minute ditty "There's No You." All in all, it's difficult to critique or find any real fault with these sessions, though Peterson is subsumed by the presence of Armstrong, who, as Leonard Feather notes, really needs nobody's help. That this was their only collaboration speaks volumes to how interactive and communal the session really was, aside from the fairly precious music. by Michael G. Nastos
 Tracklist:
 1    That Old Feeling 2:43
Written-By – Lew Brown, Sammy Fain
2    Let's Fall In Love 3:16
Written-By – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
3    I'll Never Be The Same 3:30
Written-By – Frank Signorelli, Gus Kahn, Matty Malneck
4    Blues In The Night (My Mama Done Tol' Me) 5:17
Written-By – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
5    How Long Has This Been Going On 5:58
Written-By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
6    I Was Doing All Right 3:21
Written-By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
7    What's New 2:40
Written-By – Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke
8    Moon Song 4:33
Written-By – Arthur Johnston, Sam Coslow
9    Just One Of Those Things 4:03
Written-By – Cole Porter
10    There's No You 2:16
Written-By – Hal Hopper, Tom Adair
11    You Go To My Head 6:25
Written-By – Haven Gillespie, J. Fred Coots
12    Sweet Lorraine 5:12
Written-By – Cliff Burwell, Mitchell Parish
13    I Get A Kick Out Of You 4:17
Written-By – Cole Porter
14    Makin' Whoopee 3:56
Written-By – Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson
15    Willow Weep For Me 4:17
Written-By – Ann Ronell
16    Let's Do It / Blues In The Night (outtake) 11:45
Written-By – Cole Porter
Credits:
Bass – Ray Brown (tracks: 1 to 6, 8, 9, 11 to 16)
Drums – Louis Bellson (tracks: 1 to 6, 8, 9, 11 to 16)
Guitar – Herb Ellis (tracks: 1 to 6, 8 to 16)
Piano – Oscar Peterson (tracks: 1 to 9, 11 to 16)
Trumpet – Louis Armstrong (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12)
Vocals – Louis Armstrong