Oscar Peterson
Piano Solo on
Tea For Two

About

Oscar Peterson's piano solo is the second of three solos on "Tea for Two" from the 1952 session with Lester Young. Peterson matches Young's four-chorus statement over the 32-bar ABAC form in A-flat at 262 BPM, deploying his formidable technique to full effect at this demanding tempo. The fast pace provides an ideal showcase for Peterson's extraordinary dexterity, allowing him to unleash the rapid scalar passages and block-chord sequences that defined his approach. Vincent Youmans's 1924 show tune, with its simple ascending-scale melody, provides a deceptively straightforward harmonic canvas for Peterson's elaborate improvisations.

Oscar Peterson was 26 to 27 years old at the time.