Set Released Covering Last Years of Jazz Great Oscar Pettiford’s Career

Much of the work of late bebop pioneer Oscar Pettiford is now available in one package: The Classic Albums 1953-1960.

The five disc set includes recordings made after the jazz double bassist began using the cello in earnest as his secondary instrument following an arm injury. The late Pettiford, who was a composer and bandleader as well, is known for his work with a wide variety of jazz legends, including Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Woody Herman, Art Tatum and more.

If you’re unfamiliar with Pettiford, who died in 1960, check out his quartet’s 1959 recording of his “Blues in the Closet”:

The Classic Albums 1953-1960 is available on CD and as a digital download.

The Classic Albums 1953-1960 Track List:

Disc 1:

1. The Pendulum At Falcon’s Lair
2. Tamalpais Love Song
3. Jack, The Fieldstalker
4. Stockholm Sweetnin’
5. Low And Behold
6. Sextette
7. The Golden Touch
8. Cable Car
9. Trictotism
10. Edge Of Love
11. Rides Again
12. Another One
13. Minor Seventh Heaven
14. Stardust
15. Bohemia After Dark
16. Oscalypso
17. Scorpio
18. Titoro
19. Don’T Squawk
20. Kamman’s A’ Comin’

Disc 2:

1. The Pendulum At Falcon’s Lair
2. The Gentle Art Of Love
3. Not So Sleepy
4. Speculation
5. Smoke Signal
6. Nica’s Tempo
7. Deep Passion
8. Sunrise-Sunset
9. Perdido
10. Two French Fries
11. Jack The Bear
12. Tamalpais
13. Swingin’ ‘Til The Girls Come Home
14. Mood Indigo
15. Chuckles
16. Time On My Hands

Disc 3:

1. Bo-Bi My Boy
2. Op Meets Lt
3. Tricrotism
4. Old Reliable
5. Translation
6. Tom-Kattin
7. A Lady’s Vanity
8. Dancing Sunbeam
9. Mister Man
10. The Plain But The Simple Truth
11. Little Tenderfoot
12. Once There Was
13. N R #1
14. N R #2
15. Good Luck
16. The Plain But The Simple Truth

Disc 4:

1. Now See How You Are
2. Laura
3. Aw! Come On
4. I Remember Clifford
5. Somewhere
6. Seabreeze
7. Little Niles
8. Shaw ‘Nuff
9. Blues In The Closet
10. Willow Weep For Me
11. John’s Abbey
12. Salt Peanuts
13. All The Things You Are
14. Just You, Just Me
15. Yesterdays
16. Stuffy

Disc 5:

1. Cohn’s Limit
2. Stalag 414
3. The Gentle Art Of Love
4. Oscar’s Blues
5. Stardust
6. Montmartre Blues
7. Laverne Walk
8. Two Little Pearls
9. Blue Brothers
10. Why Not That’s What!
11. There Will Never Be Another You
12. My Little Cello