The Way I Really Play (also released as The Great Oscar Peterson on Prestige!) is a 1968 album by jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. It is the third part of Peterson's Exclusively for My Friends series.

The Way I Really Play
Studio album by
Released1968
RecordedNovember 12, 1967
GenreJazz
Length44:50
LabelMPS
ProducerHans Georg Brunner-Schwer
Oscar Peterson chronology
Girl Talk
(1968)
The Way I Really Play
(1968)
Mellow Mood
(1968)
The Great Oscar Peterson on Prestige! Cover

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic      [1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide     [2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings    [3]

Writing for AllMusic, critic Ken Dryden wrote "The influence of Art Tatum is apparent during his intricate runs within "Love Is Here to Stay," while the multifaceted original "Sandy's Blues" (dedicated to his wife) combines a dark mood with a swinging setting. The lighthearted waltzing treatment of "Alice in Wonderland" is pure joy, while another original, "Noreen's Nocturne," is simply a showstopper."[1]

The Penguin Guide to Jazz includes the album in its selected "Core Collection."[3]

Track listing edit

  1. "Waltzing Is Hip" (Ray Brown, Johnny Wayne) – 6:11
  2. "Satin Doll" (Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Billy Strayhorn) – 10:05
  3. "Love Is Here to Stay" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 4:54
  4. "Sandy's Blues" (Oscar Peterson) – 9:34
  5. "Alice in Wonderland" (Sammy Fain, Bob Hilliard) – 4:46
  6. "Noreen's Nocturne" (Oscar Peterson) – 9:20

Personnel edit

Performance edit

Recorded at the private studio of Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer, Villingen-Schwenningen, West Germany, November 12, 1967:

Production edit

  • Recording director and engineer - Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer
  • Liner notes - Gene Lees
  • Liner notes translated - Dr. B. Falk
  • Cover photography - Sepp Werkmeister
  • Reverse side photography - Sepp Werkmeister
  • Graphic work - Hans B. Piltzer

References edit

  1. ^ a b Dryden, Ken. "The Way I Really Play > Review". Allmusic. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  2. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 161. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  3. ^ a b Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008) [1992]. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (9th ed.). New York: Penguin. p. 1153. ISBN 978-0-14-103401-0.