"Them There Eyes" is a showcase for the high-velocity interplay between Anita O'Day and the Oscar Peterson Quartet on her 1957 Verve album Anita Sings the Most. At an exhilarating 331 beats per minute, the 32-bar ABAC form becomes a thrilling obstacle course that all three soloists navigate with aplomb. O'Day herself takes a rare scat-influenced vocal solo chorus, her rhythmic precision and improvisational confidence placing her squarely in the company of the instrumentalists. Peterson follows with a single piano chorus at an even faster 335 beats per minute, his articulation supernaturally clear at this extreme tempo. Guitarist Herb Ellis closes the solo order with a chorus at 342 beats per minute, the progressive acceleration adding excitement to an already electrifying performance. The song, composed by Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, and William Tracey, had been a hit for Billie Holiday in the 1930s, but O'Day's version transforms it into a display of pure swinging virtuosity. With Ray Brown on bass and John Poole on drums driving the rhythm section, the track captures the kind of effortless swing that made this combination of artists among the most exciting in 1950s jazz.
