A masterful piano performance meets elaborate vocal harmony on this legendary MPS summit from the label’s early days. Oscar Peterson, with bassist George Mraz and drummer Louis Hayes, counterbalances the vocal architects from Chicago. Peterson himself initiated the first contact between the MPS studio and The Singers Unlimited (TSU). That contact blossomed into a fruitful decade-long relationship; the superb technology of the Black Forest studio perfectly matched the sophisticated demands of vocal artist and leader Gene Puerling.
Recorded in 1971, 'In Tune' is TSU’s first album on MPS. It draws on the languages of both musical poles, whether in the oscillating back-and-forth of the opening track, "Sesame Street," or in the shift from the reverent, orchestral choir intro to Peterson’s sparkling piece on "It Never Entered My Mind." The same holds true for the dreamy arrangement of "The Shadow Of Your Smile"; in his role as a delicate accompanist, Peterson pares it down to essentials. Peterson and TSU soprano Bonnie Herman take improvised walks together on Michel Legrand’s nostalgic ballad "Once Upon A Summertime." Two Brazilian excursions are featured: in Antônio Carlos Jobim’s "Children's Game," TSU offers polysyllabic ornamentation to Peterson’s buoyant waltz fantasy; in Luis Bonfa’s "The Gentle Rain," Peterson plays with the passionate choral harmonies.
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