a blind flaneur

When I was in Toronto a few weeks ago, ms. Modigliani and I had dinner with our dear friend Lou Bourgeois. On the drive to Il Paridiso in Oakville, the CD playing on the car stereo was The Genus of Coleman Hawkins, one of my Top 10, Stranded on a Desert Island jazz records. Just listen to Hawk’s honking tenor ripping up an old chestnut like “In a Mellow Tone.” It could be the sound track for Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, also released 50 years ago this month. Blow, man, blow!

Lou asked about the music. “That’s Coleman Hawkins with the Oscar Peterson Trio, Herb Ellis on guitar,” I said.

“Oscar Peterson?” Lou said. “We have the same piano tuner.” Turns out Oscar lives down the road now in Mississauga, Ontario. That put me in the mood to hear more from Oscar and send out this edition of the Mouffe to Lou.

As the program notes say, this YouTube clip features an unusual trio. Oscar Peterson is accompanied by two bassists,Ray Brown and Niels Pedersen. Their performance of “You Look Good To Me” was recorded in 1977 at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

If that only whets your appetite, check out this vintage clip of Oscar Peterson with Nat King Cole on vocals and Coleman Hawkins on tenor, swinging with “Sweet Lorraine.”