The Oscar Peterson Trio – West Side Story – Verve 200g 45 RPM Vinyl
One of the first Broadway musical scores to be overtly jazz-influenced was Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story, a tale of rival street gangs in the inner city. In 1962, pianist Oscar Peterson put his light-swing signature on the already popular score, making it, in the words of one critic, "a delight to hear again" and earning him a Grammy nomination.
Originally released in 1962
The Syd Lawrence Orchestra – Big Band Spectacular
The Thelonious Monk Quartet – Straight No Chaser 180g Audiophile Vinyl
180-GRAM 33RPM 2LP SET
This mid-period masterwork from jazz piano’s most uncommon voice find Monk and his quartet ( Charlie Rouse on tenor, Ben Riley on drums and Larry Gales on bass) exploring every texture, tone and melodic turn of seven expansive tracks. This group was subtle, mature and confident, easily supporting Monk’s more idiosyncratic side-tracks (check out the solo on “Locomotive” or the restless exposition on “Japanese Folk Song”) while allowing listeners freedom to move through or contemplate all the sublime subtexts Monk conjures from the endless well of his inspiration.
