Oscar Peterson
Piano Solo on
'S Wonderful

About

Oscar Peterson delivers a single-chorus piano solo at a blazing 345 BPM on the "'S Wonderful" portion of this medley from Anita O'Day's 1957 album Anita Sings the Most. His flowing lines and impeccable time over the 32-bar AABA form in G turn the solo into a concentrated burst of swing, a display of breathtaking virtuosity that demonstrates why he was considered the finest pianist of his generation. As the sole instrumental soloist, Peterson provides the performance's improvisational centerpiece, his articulation supernaturally clear at this extreme tempo. The session with O'Day paired one of jazz's great vocalists with one of the era's premier rhythm sections.

Oscar Peterson was 31 to 32 years old at the time.