Oscar Peterson - Motions & Emotions (MPS AAA Series)

On Oscar Peterson's 1969 album Motions & Emotions, listeners are taken on a journey of exquisite jazz interpretations of popular songs of the time that were arranged by the great Claus Ogerman, who had previously worked for Tom Jobim.

Fans with hear Brazilian influences on “Wave”, in which the orchestra builds a luminous tropical backdrop for Peterson’s fantastically dragged phrasing. Peterson and Ogerman pay tribute to another great orchestra leader, Henry Mancini, in “Sally’s Tomato” with feather-light trilling brilliance. Jimmy Webb’s “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” experiences a metamorphosis that's almost classical. Ogerman opens infinite sound spaces here with the distantly indulging strings. Bobby Gentry's “Ode To Billy Joe” cleverly translates the country vibes into some big band jazz by means of fiery keyboard playing.

The album has plenty of 'hits' like Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny”, whose theme the pianist here cleverly harmonizes out to, then decorates it bluesy with some wind instruments. Burt Bacharach’s “This Guy’s In Love With You” shines with a leisurely late night mood and a pompous finale. "Yesterday” is provided with a sparkling bossa substructure, while the other Beatles homage “Eleanor Rigby” oscillates between loose groove, deep melancholy and swing.

Heavyweight audiophile vinyl produced by MPS Records in 2021 for their 'Reforest The Legend MPS AAA Series'. Remastered from the original analog tapes by Christoph Stickel and Dirk Sommer. Pressed at Optimal Media in Germany. Includes photo insert of the original master tape box.

MPS Records was a German jazz record company founded in 1968 by Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer. MPS stands for "Musik Produktion Schwarzwald".