Oscar Peterson
Piano Solo on
Indiana

About

Oscar Peterson's piano solo is the second of four solos on "Indiana" from The President Plays with the Oscar Peterson Trio. Peterson takes one chorus over the 32-bar AB form in A-flat at approximately 190 BPM, a comparatively concise statement following Young's expansive four-chorus opener. The single-chorus format focuses Peterson's ideas into a tightly constructed improvisation, demonstrating his ability to create a complete musical statement within a compact space. James F. Hanley's 1917 composition, commonly known as "Back Home Again in Indiana," had become a jazz standard through its adoption by bebop musicians who favored its chord changes.

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