AMG Review of Ultimate Oscar Peterson

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Although serious fans and collectors will have little use for the disc, Ultimate Oscar Peterson is a solid collection of 12 highlights from the pianist's Verve recordings as selected by Ray Brown. For the curious neophyte, the disc offers a good overview of Peterson's time at the label, featuring the pianist in a variety of different settings, including combos with Milt Jackson, Herb Ellis, Clark Terry and Ed Thigpen. Certainly, the disc should be thought of as an introduction, not the final word, but on that level it works very well. Among the featured numbers are "Sometimes I'm Happy," "Love You Madly," "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," "Blues for Big Scotia," "Mumbles" and "Chicago."