Oscar Peterson Quartet: City Lights: Live in Munich, 1994

Recorded while he was still recovering from a stroke the previous year that had rendered his left hand useless, it seems apparent from the outset that piano master Peterson may have lost something off his fast ball on this 1994 concert from Munich. He lays back on the opener, an uptempo rendition of “There Will Be Another You,” allowing guitarist Lorne Lofsky to solo first and dominate the track as he comps lightly and politely behind him. But as the tune progresses, it becomes clear that the pianist’s dazzling right hand is still very much intact. Peterson’s “The Gentle Waltz” and “Love Ballade,” both underscored by drummer Martin Drew’s sensitive brushwork, carry his usual touch of elegance while “Kelly’s Blues” finds him dipping into an earthy bag with bluesy gusto. Virtuoso bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen offers several heroic solos throughout, then turns in a stunning unaccompanied showcase on “Samba Petite,” which has him alternately referencing Jaco Pastorius’ “Portrait of Tracy” and Bach’s cello suite. The quartet returns for a joyfully swinging rendition of Duke Ellington’s “Satin Doll,” then closes on an introspective note with Peterson’s classically flavored “Night Time,” which morphs into a jaunty swinger with the pianist’s fabled chops in full effect.