Richard Rodgers's "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" brings Anita O'Day's 1957 Verve album Anita Sings the Most to a reflective close with one of the most sophisticated ballad performances on the record. Oscar Peterson's half-chorus piano solo over the 32-bar AABA form at a slow 72 beats per minute in E-flat major is a masterclass in ballad playing, his touch and harmonic choices demonstrating the depth of musical feeling he could bring to a tender lyric. The Rodgers and Hart composition, from the 1940 musical Pal Joey, is one of the most harmonically rich songs in the standard repertoire, and Peterson's solo explores its chromatic beauties with the patience and sensitivity the tempo demands. O'Day's vocal interpretation matches Peterson's emotional depth, her phrasing intimate and her delivery free of the mannerisms that could sometimes affect less skilled singers in ballad settings. The Oscar Peterson Quartet, with Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and John Poole on drums, provides support of exceptional delicacy, their accompaniment enhancing the performance without ever intruding upon it. The track serves as a fitting conclusion to an album that ranks among the essential vocal recordings of the 1950s.
