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  • Not one to avoid an erroneous statement...I stand corrected in my reference to "chops". You are totally correct!

  • @DrumTchr ...Title not mistaken, duel is between chords not players...and wouldn't have use the word "chops", not blowing anything. Wouldn't compare styles, more so the trail blazer and the path finder...figure Herbie had to have listened and learned from him in his life...and quite sure he loved his work.

  • @geomrtn When did I make the comment that you are replying to? You should know that the word "chops" is used in reference to ANY musician's ability on ANY instrument... not just an instrument that is blown to produce sound. Not only that... but there are many different types of chops, eg;

    technical

    musical

    performance

    endurance

    etc

  • Comment removed

  • Really? It's a duel? So Oscar curbstomped the match in the first 6 rounds doing all his speedy runs and insane licks, but then Hancock evened it out playing something innovative in the next 4 rounds, so it kind of ended in a tie?

    Oh wait. Just why are "fiends" watching this video?

  • I love the contrast between Oscar's more "inside" approach and Herbie's more "modern" or "outside" approach. It really isn't about who's "better". I like outside playing better because I'm "young", but you have to love that old-school Tatum'/ Peterson way of doing things as well.

  • The only thing more dangerous than this would be phineas newborn vs art tatum

  • killing

  • One word: WOW!

  • oscar keeps the time and the blues

  • @Andreeeiiii and Herbie doesn't? He bends rhythmically on the basic groove but he never falls out!

  • The winner: Us the listner. :)

  • to everyone who gets it, its a "duel". to everyone else, you have been trolled

  • This is the kind of bebop Jack Kerouac wrote about, especially in "On The Road". Ingenius music. His prose is written so that when read over bebop jazz, it rings with poetry and improv.

  • ESTO ES SIMPLEMENTE INSUPERABLE !! IMPRESIONANTE !!MADRE DE DIOS !!

  • what? duel? This is not some kind of silly hip hop on MTV (don`t get me wrong, I respect intelligent sort of hip hop).. This is collaboration of two fantastic piano players who I believe don`t fight about who`s better.. I don`t think terms like "duel" or "battle" are appropriate for jazz music.. No way..

  • "Hello Fiends"

  • I WISH THAT COULD'VE BEEN APART OF THIS CONVERSATION, OMG!!!!!!!

  • Hell yehh!.. Step, hope you've seen this one... The best duel I've ever seen!

  • who remembers the Town Tavern on King St . E in Toronto ?

    I heard Oscar Peterson play live there , it was 1970 , $ 2.50 and the beers were inexpensive.

  • This clip gets me every time I hear it. The shear intensity and speed of the interaction between both these greats is simply breathtaking. I mean, how do they do what they do. Jazz, and in particular I guess this kind of Boogie-Beebop has so much freedom and fun about it, amongst all the other serious music genres. I think it's links to the spirituals of the 19th Century hold the key to its lively, outgoing character. Hope I don't upset too many people with that statement, its only my opinion...

  • right into my favorites ! I fell into JAZZ in 1971 - when I was near Oscar at an ''intimate'' practice in Belgium - I saw Herbie a couple weeks ago at Riviera Maya- and felt the same emotions - This is so great - thanks !!!

  • I guess they were havin lot of fun there....

    and i´m having much more fun listenin this treasure of music!!!!!

  • It is insanity to not apprciate the pure wonder of this historic musical moment. The pure gift of each gaint is so easily heard in the musical Conversation, I will never be the same. This is paino from the heart that expresses a life time of musical conversations were words have no place, and with that I will speak no more. Big E Jr.

  • How the heck do they do that? They just instantly hear each others phrases and copy/continue them. They're on another level.

  • 7:59-8:05

    Instant eargasms!!!!

  • 0:23 to 2:21 the audio is all screwed up. Anyone else have this problem?

  • anyone know what year?

  • Ola Dihelson, velho camarada do forum Allegro!

    Estava aqui dando um passeio no Youtube e cai nessa maravilhosa gravacao. Virtuosismo aqui e' pouco!

    A ultima vez que conversamos, voce estava comecando a estudar a La Campanella. Ja esta mandando bem essa 'montanha'?

    Grande abraco,

    Bruno

  • which is left and which is right?

  • left channel is Peterson

    right channel Hancock

  • Thanks for adding! Can anyone figure out the rhythm of the low chords beings played at 2:35 to 2:42? It's crazy rhythmic modulation and I can't quite get it transcribed. Thanks!

  • the year of this performance?

    it's in one Montreaux jazz festival??

    i was there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    herbie

  • It is a bad comment, man!

    I heard hancock's and peterson's own style!

    Very nice recording!

  • Comment removed

  • sure sounds like their playing.

  • No; this is definitely Oscar Peterson and Herbie Hancock. An Evening With Two Grand Pianos does include Billie's Bounce, but it's a different version from the one in this video.

  • Man, I've heard so much about this conzert... and it is as I've heard... really incredible

  • hahaha thanks..i think this is great...two different styles, different generations, two different kinds of swing...but they make beautiful music together

  • You can't compare the two because they have two different styles . Both incredible in their own way . This is awesome  !!

  • Amazing. Love 'em both: Oscar ripplin' streams and Herbie's funkisms. Thanks!

  • Soy completemente de acuerdo con Chiivas, pero, I think that it's best to see the two generationally different players as just that. Oscar IS jazz blues, while Herbie takes the blues harmonically to the next level. He's able to take it outside in a way that Oscar doesn't have as a part of his repetoire . . .

    Den

  • Simplemente exquisito escuchar a ambos músicos. No se trata de comparar, porque ambos estilos son diferentes. Aunque me gusta mucho más el swing y el fraseo que tiene Peterson, pero nada despreciable lo que hace Hancock. Sencillamente los admiro a ambos, los dos han sido extraordinarios seres humanos y los dos se han entregado sin condiciones al arte de la improvisación.

  • Creo que escribiste todo lo que estaba pensando yo. Sólo que no entiendo cómo Hancock después de tocar esto puede hacer una porquería como Rockit

  • just because you only like jazz doesn't mean the funk that herbie wrote is garbage.

    solo porque tu estas mas interesado en este tipo de jazz no quiere decir que rockit no es una cancion mala. solo es otro typo de musica, pero yo piense que esta escrita bien.

  • damn..they r SSOOOO good...if i were 2 relate this, it' s like Cloud Strife Dualing with Dante (from DMC) hahaha!!

  • ...yikes.

  • ?????You're so fucking crazy!!!!!! They are god! no a Character in a videogame!!!!

  • Also herbie tends to have more flair and skill in funk and 'nu jazz' than Oscar. Im not sure oscar could play funk. Two players from two different generations and highly constrasting styles so Oscar wins this contest!

  • oscar used far more bluesy and smooth phrases, usually very crisp and sweet to the ears. Herbie is far more modern in the way he swings. They both actually swing but differently. The way Oscar plays suits this song far more than hancock

  • Oscar's hero was Art Tatum. There you have it! Jelly Roll, Oscar, Art, I wish I could play like any of them.....

  • fabulous.

  • Herbie and Oscar are 2 of the highest level jazz pianists that have lived in our time. Most any jazz pianist famous and not will make reference to Herbie and Oscar as influences in their own development. It's difficult to compare them technically because both have the chops and real facility on the instrument. Oscar and Herbie both experimented with synths and other keyboard instruments and each one also composed original recorded music. But I would honestly have to say that Oscar is Supreme.

  • lol! i like this comment that u made. Let's not forget 'history': Art Tatum and Jelly Roll Morton. Herbie's ideas are CRAZZZYYY!! i don't know if even Chick Corea or Kieth Jarred can equal. As a technician, Oscar takes the cake. Herbei's ideas are amazing!!

  • Sempre straordinari!!!

  • One swings; the other doesn't.

  • I Have to agree...

    Oscar swings like a Mutha....

    Both are unbelievable players but Oscar just edges it for me.. ;-)

  • They're so different it's hard to say. I'd say that Peterson's a better player but that I enjoy Herbie more as a musician, if that makes sense.

  • they have quiet different grooves and feel 2!! Herbie is more of a funk groove, whereas Oscar is more on traditional swing..

  • are you trying to say Herbie doesn't swing? you must be out of your damn mind!! Go read what Miles thought of Oscar....Oscar is one of the most virtuoso pianist of our time..Herbie is one of the most innovative and creative improviser, composer, and pianist....shouldn't try to compare though...learn from both...as im listening herbie i hanging with him and actually kills it

  • well, herbies better composer...

  • I really can't believe my ears ...

    Noone is better than anyone .. stop this childish debate :D .. better isn't to be used between GIANTS !!!

  • Oscar messed up Herbie's pants when he pulled out his double hand repertoire, fo sho!!

  • Can I be this good?

  • You can only be what's in you, as they can only be what's in them.

  • No competition - at - all.

    Oscar all day long. It's good they had the chance to meet though.

  • It's always gonna be Oscar - until Funk comes to town, then it flips, they are awesome pianists and i think we should love them both for their contrasting styles and what they bring to the table

    Awesome listen - thanks alot for uploading this!!!

  • I just love Oscar so much, I think Herbie has done some beautiful music, it doesn't matter at all who I like the most, I'm very happy for Herbie and Oscar that they were able to meet and probably be friends. There's no greater compliment for an artist, than to have the people you look up to, respect you.

  • simply awesome

    thanks for the post

  • insane

  • "Children, I'm Oscar Peterson" :D

  • oscar走好

  • Super high level, it's amazing!

  • is a tribute performed by You?

  • Really are P&H? in wich abum I can find that? when and where was that? is there a video?

  • Herbie tries and tries, and finally 'wakes the beast' at 6:00 - Oscar's steaming!!

  • Putain!

  • hahaha. wow!!! i can ear oscar and herbie! is really diferent, oscar is faster than herbie but herbie his solos is to cool. i love them!!!

  • It's just that Herbie is using more Metric Subdivision. A more of a modern than old school approach in this instance. And Herbie is using more of the altered harmonies. Oscar is doing his classic UNTOUCHABLE two handedness. Both are critically acclaimed and arguably the best pianists to grace the instrument.

  • art tatum...

  • Ho shit forgot about tatum lol. That's where oscar got his inspiration from.

  • yeah there's a story of oscar peterson saying he wanted to give up the piano after hearing art tatum play for the first time.

  • Just Listen how they SWING!!!!

    Brilliant and beautiful.10x for posting.

  • simply the BEST....

  • Great stuff. It's easy to discern Oscar's sound. The more "percussive" sound is Herbie. Oscar's brand of swing and, yes, "early sound" are unmistakable. Two geniuses of the piano, with Oscar the best of the best.

  • beautiful.

    but I can't tell difference of sounds by Oscar and Herbie.

    can you?

  • I can,the "perly sound" is Oscar de harmony is Herbie

  • SUPERB

  • This is awesome, but I can't tell who is playing what!

  • I consider this classic Jazz -- pure music...

  • Fantastic!

  • I hate that "he plays modern" crap. It's always jazz guys who think that there is such a thing as modern. Arnold Shoenberg wrote 70 years ago and is far more "outside" than any angular playing. Bebop is the most modern and listenable improvising. That and melodic/harmonic aproach like Bill Evans or Ed Bickert. I like Herbie, but this playing is tacky and elitist

  • shoenberg did not make any records :)

  • yes Arnold Shoenberg did do 12 tone etc, which was very outside, the difference is people like herbie and oscar improvise over functional chords/harmony and it sounds outside. You can't compare the two, but i guarantee you that these two can improvise over Shoenberg's harmonies, do you think Shoenberg could have improvised like these guys? I don't mean sitting down composing, I mean just "blowing" off the top of his head. Also remember, people like Shoenberg, Ravel, etc. were influenced by jazz.

  • If you are denying the influence of classical music on jazz, then you really don't understand anything of jazz at all. It's about open-mindedness, not about competition and stating that clasical composers 'owe' something to jazz...

  • great

  • Fooly & cooly...

  • you can call any style you don't like contrived... talent's talent, cmon

  • Oscar clearly is playing what he hears, and Herbie is using devices that are a contrived.You can hear and celebrate Oscars lines and feel. With Herbie it is mentally and Egotistically exausting. Pertentious even. I mean come on it's a blues!

  • Herbie plays what he hears as well, he just hears different things. I was playing with someone who sounds like Herbie (to some extent) and I asked him to show me some of the harmonic devices he uses. His reply: "I don't know, man. I just play what I hear." It's possible to hear that.

    I think calling Herbie's playing "contrived" is a little bit unfair. I could over-simplify Oscar's playing and say he just plays two-hand unison blues lines really fast with glisses, but that's not true.

  • i will say oscar is a lot happier sounding than herbie, but herbie is totally different. i like oscar more, but herbie is just more modern

  • wow!!!

  • You should check out the Oscar Peterson / Joe Pass duos. Well worth it. And he works well with big bands...

  • His trio with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen is the hardest swinging piano trio... with both Ray and Ed taking prominant rolls

  • i was confused at first at what u said. i knew ed did rolls, but im like how does a bass player do a roll? but then im like role!! anyways now i get u

  • I love the beginning bassline syncapation, just one note ahead of the beat the whole time, awesome!

  • How much would I have loved to see this LIVE!!! My two favorite alltime piano players playing one of Bird's favorites:  YEAH!

  • Excellent! Thanks for posting this as it will never appear on a CD; what a historic recording

  • Nah, I'm sure it's on a CD somewhere, or at least it's been ripped to MP3 and being doing the rounds ever since napster was just a little baby! I remember listening to it with the title 'Oscar Peterson, Billie's Bounce' and wondering at first how the hell he could play like that with only two hands. Sounds dumb I know, but then it is Oscar... and most people probably think Art Tatum is a duet when they first hear it! Now finally I know who the other genius of the pair is... should've known!

  • IIRC this is from a Kool Jazz Festival in the '80s and the tape is regularly traded.

  • This is, without a doubt, the best jazz pianists ever!  Un-Fucking-Beliveable!!!!!

  • Finally got it! Amazing!!!!

  • Boy, this is a bitch to download. Been waiting 20 minutes! Keep reloading. Nothing happens.

  • It is called 'duel' but it is very friendly and they are playing together like kids.

    beautiful.

  • The video (music) no longer plays - What's up?

  • This track is just insane. Everytime I listen to it, there's something new I pick up on. In my opinion, just my opinion, I prefer OP on this tune. Herbie's just goin crazy with his lydian stuff, while OP really swings.

  • i agree

  • LOL. The comments here are very funny! This is a superior post regardless of the fact we can't SEE them doing it, and MAN are they DOIN'IT! I am really delighted to hear this awesome performance. Thank you!

  • This, I believe, was the 1982 Kool Jazz Festival. Herbie played solo piano, Dolphin Dance, and a really long Stella By Starlight like ravel or scriabin, Oscar with NHOP and quartet. This duet was the finale. Rhythm changes was the encore. A concert I will always remember.

  • Good for you! I definitely need to get out more!!!

  • Agreed. You don't need visual images for music unless your of the MTV generation.

  • Dude this is YOUTUBE!

  • it roars !

  • 2 play the piano like that is at the cutting edge of music grant greenham

  • i have software that will do that for me

  • WHAT! PM me please

  • I can write for you any sheet music

  • re: "don't post slideshows"

    There is no easy music collective where you just search and listen instantly. Unfortunately, until someone creates "youPlay" or something, we have to search through 40 different peer to peer things and wait for downloads. I mean...that or pay for the songs. ;-) but youtube is the best place to share quickly and easily at the moment.

  • i love them enthusiastic for life playng piano

  • better than nothing.

  • thank u. hes doin ppl a favor even still

  • yeah the guy is just sharing what he's got. Get off his back you ungrateful chump.

  • you LISTEN to music putz

  • yep, i think it's unanimous. you're a douche.

  • I know everybody has responded to this, but yeah a vid would have been nice, but with this, you just close your eyes and enjoy the music. Or you can make the mistake I did and scroll down the page to read the comments.

    RIP Oscar and glad to see Herbie still going strong.

  • I don't see this as a duel. They're both brilliant.

  • That is a truly astonishing performance-love the way oscar brings it home each time with that wonderful smile in his eye--two great players-one master.

    Don`t make `em like that anymore.....

  • i cant believe people would say there's no technique in jazz... its all technique... no one can just sit down at a piano and play like oscar. Its an art form, and he mastered it completely. RIP oscar peterson

  • I agree. They believe its just sitting down with a bunch of "note rambling". Well, if that's "note rambling", let me be a note rambler. :-)

  • People who dismiss this and other jazz and bebop classics as note rambling simply don't have the musical ability and ear to understand the melodic and harmonic complexities which are present in the music.

  • does anyone know if this is on an album

  • This is what I call "genius personified". Two masters filling the space between our ears with much knowledge. Thank you Oscar and Herbie. And people say that there is no technique in jazz.

  • touche

  • These are two masters. Both play a different style of jazz, but both have their unique merits. Its silly to compare them. But because they are both the best at what they do they work well together. Oscar is gone but Herbie is still going strong. By the way, Herbie was one of Oscar's favorite pianists!

  • Thank you for all the pleasure, Oscar. You were unique. It will be a fascinating four hander when you join Art Tatum Up There ... Mike Jones, Jackie Jones and Norman Giller of SootsJazz. We are organsing a tribute featuring UK Oscar soundalike Craig Milverton at the Lights Theatre, Andover, on January 25. British TV has been disgraceful with their lack of proper tribute programmes to a true genius.

  • It was the same with Brecker, over here they rolled of some of the pop names he played with..WTF!?! Never mind the incredible albums he made including the Brecker Bros. albums. I not sure even John Dankworth has had a fitting tribute over here yet.

  • Herbie has all of that extended harmonics razzamatazz, but he gets utterly bested here by Oscar's old school Fats Waller cum Art Tatum old school swing brilliance. I'll miss that old fat man.

  • "Who won ? we!"

    Exactly!

  • RIP Oscar Peterson, Jazz Legend and the greatest pianist I've EVER heard.

  • A very sad time. The world has lost the greatest jazz pianist of all time.

    Haydn Huckle

  • You know for about a week or month after this Herbie Hancock thought about taking up pottery. How great can pianist be that would make someone as marvelous as Hancock think about kilns and glaze?

  • Oscar's combination of incredible technique, improvisational skill, and sense of composition leaves him in a league reserved only for the select few. An artist of this stature never dies. His recordings leave us with his never ending presence.

  • You said it man! Perfect wording. No, he isn't gone! He lives on with the never ending presence. So sad as he was my Mentor for decades and there's very little of his that I don't have. I live not too far so I'm going to try to attend his funeral when it's announced. But anyways - you said it nicely - thank you!

  • RIP Oscar, this is incredible that the passing of this giant, almost a year to the day that we also lost James Brown. when I was just starting out playing, and a music major(jazz piano), my piano instructor turned me on to Oscar peterson, and I started learning pieces from his songbook. His playing was just mind-boggling!! I will miss him dearly, but his music and legend will live forever, for that thank you Oscar.

  • Can you pick out which pianist is playing when? It sounds like Mr. Peterson was the one who was scramblin' those eggs. R.I.P. been surfing all night...determined to hear it all

  • yea if you listen carefully, you can pick them out. herbie has a lot of oscar in his playing, but here he plays a lot of what he has different from oscar, as in the modern modal vocabulary, etc. oscar is very sweet sounding. i think herbie is more sour in comparison hehe they are both geniuses tho without a doubt

  • Mr. Oscar Peterson i was just listen your music this morning. For me you are never dead. I guess we will meeting again!!! Bravance

  • RIP Oscar Peterson.

    The Man is gone but his legend'll live on as long as this planet's got ears and souls.

    Ta fer posting this ChickHerbie! ^_^

    Be Well.

  • RIP Oscar. You'll be missed "Tenderly".

  • the best of all!! R.I.P oscar Peterson

  • We'll miss you pops... you're an inspiration an to us all

  • You are the greatest. Merry Christmas Oscar. Rest In Peace.

  • The 20th Century has produced Sinatra, Elvis, Liberace, Pavarotti, BB King, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ella Fitzgerald, and the list goes on. I see not ONE star of the 21st Century that will share their spotlight, nor carry their torch.

  • The 21st century is only seven years old. Give it time :o)

  • you forgot jimi hendrix xD

  • R.I.P. Oscar

  • This man had the fastest hands . Bless his sweet soul

  • not just the fastest but one the most precise and at the same time soulful masters of all time...as exhibited on this cut...anyone can play fast but with originality, timing with exquisite progressions...whew R.I.P.

    you'll be missed but never forgotten as long as there's music

  • R.I.P nothing i say can describe Oscar's idea of music. R.I.P

  • to jbowers56- all so-called improvisers play (their) licks , you just havn't heard 'em before. Ocsar and all jazz players are always drawng on what they have in their pockets to share. -Peace. bro R.I.P. (it) Oscar

  • Oscar was a great inspiration for me.. he was one of best and most important jazz pianist of our time!

    RIP

    Carsten Lindberg

  • I enjoyed the Herbie /Oscar duel but let's not forget who was the originator and writer of the funky classic composition they were playing, "Billie's Bounce." The one and only "Charlie "Yardbird" Parker. Blow on Bird!!!

  • Oscar and Herbie are both masters of the 88's but keep in mind they come out of two different schools. Oscar via Art Tatum and Herbie via Winton Kelly. I've seen both in performance and was kept on the edge of my seat.  In the spirit of Jelly Roll, Fatha, Duke, Count, Monk, Bud and Erroll- Let's give Peterson and Hancock a Big Toast!!!

  • Couldn't agree more !

  • Deservedly so.

    RIP, Oscar. He'll forever in our hearts.

  • ---> But on the other hand, in a cutting contest like this, Oscar has far more speed and technical proficiency than Herbie. LIsten to him play "Sweet Georgia Brown" on A la Salle Pleyel. I think near the end he pulls sixteenths at something like 320bpm.

  • Truly a duel of masters, however I musct agree with jbowers on this issue of lick playing. Herbie is much more an innovator than Oscar. However the two belong to different styles of the music. Herbie, border line avant garde and Oscar traditional bluesy swing. ---->