
Oscar Peterson - Mellow Mood (Exclusively for My Friends, Vol. V)
The Oscar Peterson Trio
Piano - Oscar Peterson [click here to see more vinyl featuring Oscar Peterson]
Bass – Sam Jones
Drums – Bob Durham
Written by Duke Ellington (A1), Milt Gabler (A1), Horace Silver (A2), Bronislau Kaper (A3), Ned Washington (A3), George & Ira Gershwin (B1), DuBose Heyward (B1), Irving Caesar (B2), Vincent Youmans (B2), Leslie Bricusse (B3), Anthony Newley (B3)
1 LP, gatefold jacket
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33 RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : unspecified
Label : MPS Records
Original Label : MPS Records
Recorded in April 1968 at Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer Studio, Villingen, West Germany
Engineered and produced by Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer
Remastered by Christoph Stickel
Design by Hans B. Pfitzer
Liner Notes by Leonard Feather
Photography by Hubertus Mall, Sepp Werkmeister, German Hasenfratz
Originally released in 1969
Reissued in 2025
Tracks:
Side A:
- In a Mellotone
- Nica's Dream
- Green Dolphin Street
Side B:
- Summertime
- Sometimes I'm Happy
- Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)
Awards
The Penguin Guide to Jazz includes the album in its selected "Core Collection"
Reviews:
“The fifth volume of Oscar Peterson's Exclusively for My Friends series is another lively trio affair with Sam Jones and Bobby Durham, though the album title Mellow Mood is a bit deceptive. "In a Mellow Tone" plunges in full force with a bluesy performance, with the audience responding to Peterson's opening solo as Durham switches from brushes to sticks. Peterson's amusing detour into Mercer Ellington's "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" and Jones' driving bass add to its appeal. His arrangement of Horace Silver's "Nica's Dream" begins quietly before he slowly turns on the turbochargers in an inspired performance. Gone is the overly dramatic introduction to "On Green Dolphin Street" heard during the earlier 1961 sessions at the London House; this interpretation is far more compelling as it doesn't seek to overwhelm the listener with the pianist's technique. The snappy take of "Summertime" is infused with a blues feeling in a brisk setting, while "Who Can I Turn To" evokes the memory of Art Tatum, though this composition was obviously never recorded by Oscar's good friend. Peterson fires up the tempo as Jones and Durham join him.” AllMusic Review by Ken Dryden
Ratings :
Discogs : 4.33 / 5 ; AllMusic : 3.5 / 5