Oscar Peterson & Fred Astaire: The Astaire Story +1 Bonus Track auf 2 CDs

Product Information

The complete classic set The Astaire Story (Mercury MGC 1001 / 4). Originally a four-LP deluxe box set, it was conceived by producer Norman Granz to showcase the singing talents of the great Fred Astaire in a jazz context, backed by an all-star small group conducted by pianist Oscar Peterson.

The project spanned Astaire’s then 20-year long movie career presenting a selection of songs by composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and Cole Porter, which he had premiered in his various films in the 1930s and 1940s. The set was conceived in the typical Granz jam session style, with plenty of instrumental solos, and on some tracks, Astaire was recorded tap dancing on a big wooden block.

»It was a wonderful experience for all of us to do this date with the great Fred Astaire, and to see and hear this great show icon perform his vocal and tapping talents with a jazz concept beneath him. At the end of the recording sessions, Fred was totally exuberant about the outcome, as we were, and he profusely thanked us, as he put it, for bearing with his lack of jazz ability. We didn't feel this way about the dates, but rather were overwhelmingly pleased with the meld of the two musical mediums.« (Oscar Peterson)