One could say that no two pianists could be more different than Count Basie, the master of understatement, and Oscar Peterson, the embodiment of speed, power, and ornamentation. The contrast in their approaches is part of what made their collaboration so captivating. The fact is, Basie, who had a great deal of power in reserve, could unleash it when he wanted to.
And Peterson was able to use all that power judiciously to achieve the most subtle effects. Both kinds of role reversal are present here. As the album title suggests, the great common denominator between the two is their adherence to and interpretation of time, not only in terms of the overall rhythm but also in the placement of notes and phrases. Their unaccompanied duet in the opening choruses of “Rent Party” demonstrates this powerfully.
Mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed at Quality Record Pressings for optimal sound quality, this 180-gram reissue from Analogue Productions offers everything jazz fans expect from an audiophile reissue.
