Tracks (Oscar Peterson album)

Tracks is a 1970 album by Oscar Peterson.

Track listing

 * 1) "Give Me the Simple Life" (Rube Bloom, Harry Ruby) – 3:59
 * 2) "Basin Street Blues" (Spencer Williams) – 4:14
 * 3) "Honeysuckle Rose" (Andy Razaf, Fats Waller) – 3:05
 * 4) "Dancing on the Ceiling" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) – 5:07
 * 5) "A Child Is Born" (Thad Jones) – 2:35
 * 6) "If I Should Lose You" (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin) – 5:19
 * 7) "A Little Jazz Exercise" (Oscar Peterson) – 2:43
 * 8) "Django" (John Lewis) – 5:16
 * 9) "Ja-Da" (Bob Carleton ) – 4:17
 * 10) "Just a Gigolo" (Julius Brammer, Irving Caesar, Leonello Casucci) – 5:27

Analysis

 * 1) "Give Me the Simple Life" starts the album with a [block chord] technique.
 * 2) "Basin Street Blues" is a slow stride addition to the album
 * 3) "Honeysuckle Rose" utilizes an up-tempo rendition of the original song
 * 4) "Dancing on the Ceiling"  is the second slow-stride addition to the album,
 * 5) "A Child Is Born" is a slow ballade-style setting, stating the melody, then improvising slightly on that melody.
 * 6) If I Should Lose You" the improvisation is approached in a similar way to Basin Street Blues
 * 7) "A Little Jazz Exercise" is the only original composition by Oscar Peterson.  It is based on the standard "I Want To Be Happy" (Irving Caesar- Vincent Youmans) chord changes.
 * 8) "Django" begins very close to the original version, and veers off into a Db improvisation
 * 9) "Ja-Da" continues the slow stride technique started by track #1, 4, & 6
 * 10) "Just a Gigolo another slow stride interpretation.

Performance

 * Oscar Peterson - piano

Production

 * Willi Fruth - recording director
 * Stefan Kassel - artwork, series design
 * Matthias Kunnecke - producer
 * Gene Lees - liner notes
 * Richard Palmer
 * Willem Makkee - digital remastering
 * Hubertus Mall - artwork, cover illustration