This recording of Frederick Loewe's "Almost Like Being in Love" comes from The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio, the 1952 session featuring Lester Young with pianist Oscar Peterson, guitarist Barney Kessel, and bassist Ray Brown. The tune, from the 1947 musical Brigadoon, is performed at a medium swing tempo of approximately 131 beats per minute, using a 36-bar AABA form in C. Young takes one and a half choruses on tenor saxophone, his solo unfolding with the characteristic warmth and melodic sophistication that made him one of jazz's most imitated improvisers. His ability to tell a story within the confines of a standard song form is on full display, with each phrase building naturally on the last. Peterson contributes a brief quarter-chorus statement on piano, a compact interlude that hints at his immense capabilities without overpowering the performance. The slightly longer-than-standard 36-bar form gives Young extra room in the bridge sections, and he uses the additional space to explore melodic ideas with patience and grace. Loewe's composition, with its buoyant melody and romantic harmonic movement, suits Young's lyrical temperament perfectly. The performance captures the easy rapport between the saxophonist and the trio, with Peterson, Kessel, and Brown responding to Young's every inflection with the intuitive sensitivity of world-class accompanists.
