At The Opera - The Modern Jazz Quartet & The Oscar Peterson Trio

At The Opera House
The Modern Jazz Quartet
The Oscar Peterson Trio
Verve V-8482
1962

Available from online vendors so I will not be posting a sample. Presented here to share the original reissued cover and jacket notes.

From the back cover: In 1957, making the eighteenth annual Jazz At The Philharmonic concert tour in America, I recorded, as I have in previous years, various concerts of the group. They were recorded at Carnegie Hall in New York City, at the Chicago Civic Opera House and at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium. In spite of the experience in the past, it still remains a matter of luck as to the technical recording quality of what the artists put to wax. It's also a problem of the artist being at his best, because they obviously play better at one sitting than another, depending on the circumstances surrounding their particular day. We are very lucky with what happened in Chicago at the Opera House, because technically the reproduction was almost perfect (perfect in terms of what you could normally accomplish in a studio) and the musicians reached an artistic peak with what they played that night. Logically, therefore, this album is called "Jazz At The Opera House."

There isn't too much that can be said about the Modern Jazz Quartet or the Oscar Peterson Trio that isn't known to jazz fans all over the world; all I can give you are certain statistics which might factually be of interest.

The Modern Jazz Quartet consists of John Lewis on piano, Milt Jackson on vibes, Percy Heath on bass and Connie Kay on drums. Jackson is the perennial poll winner on vibes, and Lewis too has won several polls as an arranger. The group is probably the most accepted and one of the best known small groups throughout the jazz world.

The Oscar Peterson Trio, with Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis on guitar, through their records and several international tours with JATP is, if anything, possibly even better known.

The interesting thing about this album is the contrast between the measured, calm playing of the Modern Jazz Quartet and the exciting, stimulating, driving Peterson Trio. – Norman Grans

From Billboard - January 5, 1963: This is a re-release of a recording made in 1957 during a tour of the Jazz At The Philharmonic. Both The Modern Jazz Quartet and The Oscar Peterson Trio showed off some of their best work the night these recordings were made, and the set makes a welcome re-release for jazz fans. Attractively re-packaged, and with the recorded sound clean and updated, the set should garner new sales.

Now's The Time
'Round Midnight
D&E
Should I
Big Fat Mama
Indiana (Back Home Again In Indiana)
Joy Spring
Elevation