Very Tall marks the first recorded collaboration between Oscar Peterson and Milt Jackson. By 1961, both musicians were highly regarded and successful figures in jazz. Peterson had recorded countless albums with his own trio and accompanied stars such as Louis Armstrong, Lester Young, Ben Webster, and Billie Holiday, to name a few. Jackson had played with most of the modern jazz greats and was a founding member of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Very Tall features Jackson as an additional member of the legendary Peterson Trio with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen.