Oscar Peterson - Night Train [Spain Import]

Night Train is the Oscar Peterson Trio at its most swinging and soulful, the 1963 Verve classic presented here as a remastered 180-gram Spanish import with a bonus track.

By the early 60s, Peterson, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen had become one of the tightest units in jazz, and producer Norman Granz brought them into a Los Angeles studio in December 1962 to cut a set built on the blues and familiar standards. The result is one of the most approachable records in Peterson's huge catalogue, a session that showcases his dazzling technique without ever losing the groove.

The title track struts with a gutsy, rolling swing, and "C Jam Blues" turns Duke Ellington's simple theme into a playground for all three players. "Georgia on My Mind" slows things down into a warm, unhurried ballad, while "Hymn to Freedom", Peterson's own composition, carries a gospel-rooted dignity that made it an anthem of the civil rights era.

Brown's bass is huge and woody throughout, Thigpen keeps everything crisp and buoyant, and Peterson's right hand sparkles with ideas from the first bar to the last.

For anyone starting a jazz collection, or adding to a big one, this remains a perennial favourite and a perfect late-night record.