Two Lions and Mack Avenue Records have released On a Clear Day: The Oscar Peterson Trio – Live in Zurich, 1971, in Digital and CD formats, along with a special 2-LP set on clear vinyl available via Record Store Day Black Friday. The album features eight tracks of never-before-heard performances from legendary Jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, performing alongside bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and drummer Louis Hayes.
Peterson released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, as well as a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy, and received numerous other awards and honors over the span of his career.
Bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and drummer Louis Hayes came together for only one studio album, Great Connection, recorded prior to their Zurich show. Peterson was not a leader who simply expected his sidemen to conform to his own preconception of what the music should be. Instead, he formed a “unique entity” for each particular manifestation of his trio concept.
The eight tracks on this album are an assemblage of songbook classics, standards and Western Classical-inspired songs. On a Clear Day is Mack Avenue Records’ third release in partnership with Two Lions Records.
Kelly Peterson, Oscar Peterson’s wife, founder/director of Two Lions and maintainer of his legacy says:
The values I hold dearest, integrity, dedication to excellence, honesty, and trust – values that are an important part of Oscar’s legacy – are demonstrated in each and every member of the Mack Avenue team. It is a pleasure to work with people who share these values. I have tremendous respect for Mack Avenue Records and the people who are that company. I am very happy to have this second archival release of Oscar and his trio and look forward to the future and more to come as we continue together to honor and share Oscar’s legacy.
