Motions & Emotions - Oscar Peterson

 

Eleanor Rigby

Motion & Emotions

Oscar Peterson

Arranged and Conducted by Claus Ogerman

BASF STEREO 20713

1972

From the inside cover: For some time now there have been recurring and mostly unnecessary- debates on the subject "jazz and pop". Sometimes it has appeared as if it were necessary to form opposing parties which would tear at each other passionately and polemically. Then the debate becomes not "jazz and pop", but "jazz or pop". And that's even worse.

Some extremists say: "Jazz is in danger of dying. Help it. It desperately needs a 'shot of pop'." The other side-which is called "purist" by its opponents, and which takes this thesis seriously, sometimes too seriously-fights back with: "What would today's pop music be without jazz, which is as living today as it's always been? Pop lives from jazz!"

We have here new recordings by the great Oscar Peterson which demonstrate with exceptional authority how superfluous and idiotic it is to draw musical boundaries and put up toll gates, and how unproblematical and self evident a healthy relationship between both forms of music is.

Everything that Oscar Peterson plays here-and has ever played-is jazz. And it has always been, in the best sense of the word, (pop)ular.

Therefore, one must welcome the opportunity of experiencing one of the greatest jazz pianists of our time-for many, THE greatest-improvising on pop and hit parade themes. Especially when the themes have been chosen for

their beauty and musical interest. That this is so, is proven by the names of the composers: Burt Bacharach, Henry Mancini, Antonio Carlos Jobim, John Lennon/Paul McCartney, Jim Webb, etc. For the most part the titles are what are now called "current standards".

Fifteen years ago, when rock-'n'-roll became THE thing, many lovers of melody and harmony thought this was the end of "evergreens". But now in the Sixties there are any number of "current standards" which are being used by jazzmen and show stars and which are the "evergreens" of tomorrow. The com- posers come from all branches of pop music: Jobim with bossa nova; beat from Lennon and McCartney; Mancini in Hollywood; and Bacharach and Webb. who write for recording stars. And then there are the stars themselves – Bobbie Gentry, for example-who write one or more beautiful things.

Their numbers were undoubtedly as exciting for Oscar as they were for the arranger and bandleader on this date. Claus Ogerman. Claus many years ago was a very promising jazz pianist in Munich; then he set sail "to conquer the New World" and study jazz at the roots. He is one of the few who has made his way "over there," if not in jazz, then through his conscious concentration on the pop field. However, it is to his credit that such important musicians as Stan Getz, Bill Evans, João Gilberto or Wes

Montgomery have found the way opened to a wider audience.

After hearing the arrangements on this record, one understands Claus' success in New York. The instrumentation is used sparingly, the basic tendency is impres- sionistic. One hears mainly strings, french horns, an alto flute. When brass is used, it is mostly muted.

We have become so used to Oscar Peterson's chamber music style-his rhythm group. Sam Jones on bass and Bobby Durham on drums, is on this record with him-that it's exciting to hear him once again with a large orchestra. Naturally, even in these surroundings he loses nothing of his inimitable way of playing.

"Motions and Emotions", the title of this new album, could be used for every- thing that Oscar plays. The lines move and are moving and the harmonic variations which "get under your skin" are in exciting contrast to and comple- ment Ogerman's arrangements, which are inspired by Oscar and inspire him.

I am sure that the new album is going to make a lot of people happy: Oscar Peterson fans, jazz fans in general, and anyone else who appreciates good music-whatever his age. – Wolfram Röhrig (translated by Clay Sherman)

Sally's Tomato

Sunny

By The Time I Get To Phoenix

Wandering

This Guy's In Love With You

Wave

Dreamsville

Yesterday

Eleanor Rigby

Ode To Billy Joe