From the point of view of musicality, the recording is great. By the mid-1950s it is almost impossible to find tracks on the LP recorded with such warmth and expressiveness, in the 1960s studios with such a sound were already absent, as a class. The record itself is ruined by bad needles. However, if you listen to it on a old tube system, a warm, enveloping sound fills the room so that the cracks will not interfere at all. Oscar Peterson is young here, his fingers are not clogged with cliches, and the most important thing – maestro does not play too fast passages, which makes a very pleasant impression.
Peterson Oscar
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson; August 15, 1925- December 23, 2007) – Canadian jazz pianist, composer, and one of the outstanding pianists – jazz virtuosos.
Billie Holiday – Solitude, 1956 LP mono rip
The album is a prime example of Clef's recordings in the mid-1950s. The wholeness of the sound is somewhat lacking, but on successful tracks the vocals are still clear and tremulous – "You Turned The Tables On Me" and "You Go To My Head" are recorded cleanly and sound comfortable, in the second case only the piano failed.
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Oscar Peterson – Swinging Brass, 1959 LP
Oscar Peterson was a virtuoso, but he was not distinguished by the subtlety of his improvisations. He was far from the exquisite style of Wilson and Gardner, but he was not discouraged and was popular, like none of his competitors. His speed cliches are predictable and boring, but where Peterson doesn’t try to play fast and for some reason holds back his temper, he’s not bad at it. Peterson’s piano sounds full-fledged and sometime you can get purely audiophile pleasure from it, while omitting the jazz aesthetic.
The orchestra recorded poorly, but the piano is of audiophile and musical value, and the percussion is perfectly recorded in the Cubana Chant with a separate microphone.