Search - Oscar Peterson :: Royal Wedding Suite

A Jazz record, as kitschy as the event itself

06/08/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Oscar Peterson is one of the greatest pianist in Jazz and a very gifted composer. Unfortunately, this is not the record to prove this particular point. The whole affair is overblown and overdone, and only occasionally you can catch a memorable idea. Of course, the wedding of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, was pure kitsch, and the record lives up to that, but too much is too much. The intro to "Heraldry", which you can hear on the site, can only be considered a bad joke, but one I did not get, especially considering the more jazzy and quite lively middle part of the piece. "When Summer Comes" is a nice ballad, one of the more memorable tunes on the record, but in general this is simple Big Band pop, something which was far better done by the likes of Wes Montgomery and others. Not a highlight in Peterson's career. I wonder why this should be an "Orignal Jazz Classic"?"