180 gram individual pressings include Action, Girl Talk, The Way I Really Play, My Favorite Instrument, Mellow Mood and Travelin' On !
"The German audiophile journalist producer Dirk Sommer commenced work on a project to reissue a six LP set of these extraordinary private sessions, working from the original master tapes... The sound varies somewhat from record to record, but the quality is generally very high with Peterson appearing between center and right speaker and Thigpen and Brown to your left... Peterson's playing dazzles with speed, intensity, eclecticism and inventiveness... Dynamics are explosive and the cutting engineer, knowing his audience, kept his hands off the limiter". - Music = 10/11; Sound = 10/11 - Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com.
Exclusively for My Friends is generally regarded as the heart of every Oscar Peterson collection. Peterson even raved that the MPS recordings, mainly due to the intimate atmosphere of inclusion in Hans Georg Brunner Schwer's living room and its perfection and sensitivity as a sound engineer and producer, brought out Peterson's best.
The resulting 1963-1968 private concert recordings are the impressive result of the long friendship between the exceptional Canadian pianist and the Black Forest label owners and document both Peterson's brilliance in high-profile trio lineups as well as Brunner Schwer's obsession with the best possible sound.
Each recording is pressed on 180 gram of virgin vinyl. The sound reflects the pure analog mastering process freed from traces of aging and carefully optimized. This MPS set corresponds again to the highest audiophile standards of today.
LP 1 : Volume I - Action
Musicians : Oscar Peterson (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
Side A :
1. At Long Last Love
2. Easy Walker
3. Tin Tin Deo
Side B :
1. I've Got a Crush On You
2. Foggy Day
3. Like Someone In Love
LP 2 : Volume II - Girl Talk
Musicians : Oscar Peterson (piano), Ray Brown, Sam Jones (bass), Bob Durham,
Louis Hayes (drums)
Side A :
1. On a Clear Day
2. I'm In the Mood For Love
3. Girl Talk
Side B :
1. Medley : Concentrate On You, Moon river
2. Robbins Nest
LP 3 : Volume III - The Way I Really Play
Musicians : Oscar Peterson (piano), Sam Jones (bass), Bob Durham (drums)
Side A :
1. Waltzing Is Hip
2. Satin Doll
3. Love Is Here To Stay
Side B :
1. Sandy's Blues
2. Alice In Wonderland
3. Noreen's Nocturne
LP 4 : Volume IV - My Favorite Instrument (solo)
Musicians : Oscar Peterson (piano)
Side A :
1. Someone To Watch Over Me
2. Perdido
3. Body and Soul
4. Who Can I Turn To
Side B :
1. Bye, Bye Blackbird
2. I Should Care
3. Lulu's Back In Town
4. Little Girl Blue
5. Take the "A" Train
LP 5 : Volume V - Mellow Mood
Musicians : Oscar Peterson (piano), Sam Jones (bass), Bob Durham (drums)
Side A :
1. In A Mellotone
2. Nica's Dream
3. Green Dolphin Street
Side B :
1. Summertime
2. Sometimes I'm Happy
3. Who Can I Turn To
LP 6 : Volume VI - Travelin' On
Musicians : Oscar Peterson (piano), Sam Jones (bass), Bob Durham (drums)