Oscar Peterson - The Best Of MPS Years

2022 release

The Best Of The MPS Years presents you all the classics and highlights of Oscar Peterson’s time at the Black Forest label on one album.

It was 1961 when Oscar Peterson came to Villingen, Germany the first time. Hans-Georg Brunner-Schwer, former owner of the hifi dynasty SABA, had just set up the first version of his studio, equipped with the most advanced recording technology of the time. This was the bait used by the piano enthusiast to attract the famous pianist to the Black Forest. After a performance in Zurich, Peterson climbed into a limousine and embarked on a journey across the mountains. As soon as he arrived, along with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen, the international star was led to the Steinway grand in the living-room where a number of excited guests were eagerly waiting. “I listened to him play ’til four o’clock in the morning and lost the desire to ever hear the Beatles again!”, says Matthias Brunner-Schwer, HGBS’ son, still starry-eyed half a century later. The legendary pianist himself was equally delighted when he listened to the recording of the nocturnal living-room performance, never before having heard such a direct and pristine piano sound on tape. Peterson’s enthusiastic response marked the beginning of a long-term friendship and spiritual kinship with Brunner-Schwer.

In the following years, the Canadian pianist returned again and again with various line-ups to capture his musical vision on tape. The legendary “Exclusively For My Friends” live series was the very first release for Brunner-Schwer‘s newly-established MPS label with many studio albums to follow.