At Baker’s Keyboard Lounge is a live album by the Oscar Peterson Trio, released in 2026 by Verve Records. It brings together previously unreleased recordings made in August 1960 at Detroit’s legendary Baker’s Keyboard Lounge. The trio Oscar Peterson on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums delivers performances of remarkable intensity throughout the recording. Originally intended for a commercial release, these concerts remained unreleased for more than sixty years. The repertoire combines jazz standards, bebop tunes, and original compositions. Peterson’s dazzling virtuosity, supported by the exceptional cohesion of the rhythm section, showcases the elegance and swing that made the trio world-renowned. Thanks to outstanding audio restoration, the album faithfully recreates the intimate atmosphere of the famous Detroit club. This release stands as both a valuable historical document and a major rediscovery of one of the greatest piano trios in jazz history.

Are the editions released worthy of the exceptional musical quality of this Oscar Peterson Trio album?

For this review, you will find 3 versions tested:

• Ed 1: SHM-CD JAPAN – 2026
• Ed 2: Tidal MAX – 2026
• Ed 3: Vinyl record – 2026

Below you will find the description of the different editions, as well as the measurements of each edition in the following chapters.

The synthesis of the review are available here

The album is composed of 27 tracks:

1. Autumn Leaves
2. Django
3. Confirmation
4. Whisper Not
5. Billy Boy
6. The Touch of Your Lips
7. Ill Wind
8. Chicago
9. I Love You
10. Blues for Big Scotia
11. Dancing on the Ceiling
12. Politics and Poker
13. Where Do I Go from Here?
14. I Didn’t Know What Time It Was
15. Rise
16. Yesterday
17. Sunny Morning
18. S’posin’
19. In Memory of Clifford
20. Let There Be Love
21. Swamp Fire
22. Blues for Big Scotia
23. Satin Doll
24. Wantin’ You
25. My Funny Valentine
26. Scrapple from the Apple
27. Medley: Billy Boy / When the Saints Go Marching In

Summary, scoring and Samples

Ed 1: SHM-CD JAPAN – 2026

Presentation

This Japanese double SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) edition includes all the tracks from the album.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR10

The waveform of the SHM-CD JAPAN – 2026 version shows an average dynamic range that seems acceptable with the DR10. However, it is noted that many tracks exhibit a DR of 8 or 9, indicating the use of a dynamic limiter, as confirmed by waveform analysis (red zones). Such processing is regrettable for a jazz album.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 22 kHz with no signal above this frequency due to the 44.1 kHz sampling frequency.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the SHM-CD JAPAN – 2026 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal MAX – 2026 (blue curve). The two spectra overlap up to 22 kHz, the maximum frequency for a CD due to its 44.1 kHz sampling frequency.

Synthesis and listening

The sonic rendering is comparable to the high-resolution version, although the low end is less prominent than on the vinyl edition. The perceived difference from the high-resolution version may vary from one DAC to another, depending on the internal processing applied by the DAC based on the sampling rate. Unfortunately, much like the Tidal version, there is a reduction in dynamic range caused by the use of a limiter,a regrettable choice for a jazz album on SHM-CD.
The album beautifully captures the atmosphere of the concert hall, immersing us right in the heart of the action alongside the musicians. You can even hear Oscar Peterson’s whisper.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)

Ed 2: Tidal MAX – 2026

Presentation

This is the Tidal MAX presented in stereo 24 bits 192 kHz.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR10

The waveform of the Tidal MAX – 2026 version shows an average dynamic range that seems acceptable with the DR10. However, it is noted that many tracks exhibit a DR of 8 or 9, indicating the use of a dynamic limiter, as confirmed by waveform analysis. Such processing is regrettable for a jazz album.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises to 96 kHz with no signal above this frequency due to the 192 kHz sampling frequency.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl record – 2026 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal MAX – 2026 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap almost perfectly between 150 Hz and 5 kHz. Below 150 Hz, the vinyl’s level is up to 4 dB higher in the 60 150 Hz range, whereas it drops a few dB below 60 Hz. Above 5 kHz, both curves follow a similar general trend, though the vinyl exhibits a boost in the high frequencies between 12 and 20 kHz, peaking at 4 or 5 dB. The high-resolution spectrum shows parasitic frequency peaks around 30 kHz and 50 kHz, which have no impact on the perceived sound.

Synthesis and listening

This is a beautiful 24-bit/192 kHz hi-res edition that makes full use of the frequencies up to 96 kHz from the original analog master. Sadly, the use of a limiter ruins the effort, especially since 24-bit audio can easily handle all the dynamic nuances without difficulty.
The album beautifully captures the atmosphere of the concert hall, immersing us right in the heart of the action alongside the musicians. You can even hear Oscar Peterson’s whisper.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)

Ed 3: Vinyl record – 2026

Presentation

This vinyl edition, The Complete Recordings, includes three LPs and features the complete set of 27 tracks from the album. A single-LP version is also available, containing only nine tracks.

Waveform and Spectrum: DR12

The waveform of the Vinyl record – 2026 version shows a very good dynamic range confirmed with DR12.

The spectrogram shows that the signal rises above 20 kHz with signal above this frequency containing musical information and distortion due to the vinyl record s operating principle.

The graph below compares the spectrum of the Vinyl record – 2026 (white curve) with the spectrum of the Tidal MAX – 2026 (blue curve).The two spectra overlap almost perfectly between 150 Hz and 5 kHz. Below 150 Hz, the vinyl’s level is up to 4 dB higher in the 60 150 Hz range, whereas it drops a few dB below 60 Hz. Above 5 kHz, both curves follow a similar general trend, though the vinyl exhibits a boost in the high frequencies between 12 and 20 kHz, peaking at 4 or 5 dB. The high-resolution spectrum shows parasitic frequency peaks around 30 kHz and 50 kHz, which have no impact on the perceived sound.

Synthesis and listening

Listening to the vinyl, one immediately notices increased presence in the low end, the double bass is more prominent, providing a more pleasant listening experience while maintaining detail in the high frequencies. This aligns perfectly with the spectral analysis, suggesting that this 3LP edition is likely the best sonic representation of the album.
The album beautifully captures the atmosphere of the concert hall, immersing us right in the heart of the action alongside the musicians. You can even hear Oscar Peterson’s whisper.
However, despite the higher DR, it remains difficult to discern whether we are hearing a truly dynamic master or simply a less compressed version of the digital masters. This phenomenon regarding dynamic shifts is explained in the article: Does analog media force a dynamic on music? or Does Analog Media increase the dynamics?.

Rating:

• Dynamic: ●●●oo (3.5)
• Bandwidth: ●●●●● (5)
• Surface noise: ●●●●o (4)
• Restitution: ●●●oo (3.5)

I cannot hide my disappointment. After receiving the Japanese SHM-CD edition and comparing the album across various formats, the conclusion is bitter: this jazz album has fallen victim to the ‘Loudness War.’ This is a concerning warning sign for the genre, and it is not an isolated case; we see the same trend in more recent recordings, such as Stacey Kent’s latest album, A Time for Love. All we ask for is sonic fidelity. A jazz album is not a rock record that needs to sound ‘loud’ for marketing purposes. Jazz productions seem to be succumbing to this race for volume, and Oscar Peterson would undoubtedly be horrified by the treatment inflicted upon this recording.

Dynamic Range measurements are shown below.

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Measurements

Dynamic Range comparaisons

Dynamic represents the ability to reproduce a wide range of sounds from the softest to the loudest. The target is to compare the dynamics of the music and not of the media (CD, digital files or vinyl).

For our 3 editions reviewed have obtained the following Dynamic Range (DR) :

	SHM-CD JAPAN – 2026	Tidal MAX – 2026	Vinyl record – 2026
Global	DR10	DR10	DR12
Min	DR8	DR8	DR10
Max	DR13	DR13	DR15
Autumn Leaves	DR09	DR09	DR11
Django	DR11	DR11	DR13
Confirmation	DR09	DR09	DR12
Whisper Not	DR11	DR11	DR12
Billy Boy	DR08	DR08	DR11
The Touch of Your Lips	DR09	DR09	DR10
Ill Wind	DR10	DR10	DR11
Chicago	DR09	DR09	DR12
I Love You	DR09	DR09	DR12
Blues for Big Scotia	DR08	DR08	DR11
Dancing on the Ceiling	DR08	DR08	DR12
Politics and Poker	DR08	DR08	DR11
Where Do I Go from Here?	DR09	DR09	DR13
I Didn’t Know What Time It Was	DR11	DR11	DR13
Rise	DR10	DR10	DR13
Yesterday	DR13	DR13	DR14
Sunny Morning	DR10	DR10	DR13
S’posin’	DR09	DR09	DR12
In Memory of Clifford	DR11	DR11	DR13
Let There Be Love	DR09	DR09	DR12
Swamp Fire	DR08	DR08	DR11
Blues for Big Scotia	DR09	DR09	DR12
Satin Doll	DR10	DR10	DR12
Wantin’ You	DR10	DR10	DR14
My Funny Valentine	DR11	DR11	DR15
Scrapple from the Apple	DR10	DR10	DR13
Medley: Billy Boy / When the Saints Go Marching In	DR10	DR10	DR13

As a reminder, the scale goes from 0 to more 20, but the dynamics are considered good from 12, quite good between 10 and 11, and deteriorate below 10.

Detail of the ratings :

• Dynamic :
  1. Significant dynamic compression, DR less than 7
  2. Compression of the present dynamics, DR between 7 and 9.
  3. Correct piece DR >=10
  4. No dynamic compression (DR >12), dynamic rendering
  5. No dynamic compression, high DR and very dynamic sound rendering
• Spectrum :
  1. Spectrum cut and less than 15 khz
  2. Spectrum cut at 15 khz
  3. Spectrum not conforming to the original and cut (not HD) or original but limited bandwidth (but less than 20 kHz)
  4. Spectrum conforming to the original (but not HD)
  5. Spectrum conforming to the original with HD resolution (higher than 24kHz)
• Surface noise (only for vinyl):
  1. Continuous audible noise
  2. Audible surface noise except on passages with a high level of noise
  3. Reduced surface noise, barely audible on low level crossings
  4. Low surface noise, very good quality
  5. Very low surface noise, no defects, almost inaudible on the quiet passages (exceptional disc)
• Spatialization :
  • Between 0 and 5 for 5.1 or 7.1 channels configuration
  • Between 0 and 10 for Atmos configuration (7.1.4)
  • For more information on spatialization, you can read the article describing this parameter here.
• Restitution :
  1. Low quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments.
  2. Average quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments.
  3. Quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Good record.
  4. High quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Very high level disc.
  5. Maximum quality of the restitution mixing dynamics, clarity, separation of voices and instruments. Exceptional disc.

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