Frank Sinatra once called Nelson Riddle the greatest arranger in the world. Well, you might be able to name one or two others whom you could put alongside him or maybe even above him. But that does not affect the elegance or relaxed swing that the highly acclaimed, and eventually wealthy, Nelson Riddle lent to crude compositions.
His collaboration with the piano virtuoso Oscar Peterson – who never omitted to play a number if he could show off his amazingly nimble fingers by doing so – is clearly of real benefit in the slow numbers: the melodies are more recognizable, Peterson’s unwavering sense of time is even more asserted, and his imagination is called upon.
This LP is a potpourri which emphasises on evergreens composed by Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, right up to Kurt Weill, whereby the children’s song “Someday My Prince Will Come” swings wonderfully, and the Benny Goodman classic “Goodbye” provides a worthy finale to this elaborate recording from 1963. It also offers a wonderful opportunity to put the record on the turntable, pour yourself a glass or two of good red wine – and just enjoy the music!

Recording: ?November 1963 at Radio Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, by Rafael Valentin
Production: ?Jim Davis
“The Trio & The Orchestra” – Oscar Peterson (p); Nelson Riddle (arr, cond); Ray Brown (b); Ed Thigpen (dr) and orchestra & strings.