After the introduction of the LP format in the mid-fifties, jazz producer Norman Granz presented the jazz world with conceptual albums based on the compositions of the most famous American songwriters.This particular recording came about during a series of intense sessions during which Peterson and his band taped many different songbooks by the most renowned American composers.Throughout 1959, Peterson waxed his tributes to Harry Warren & Vincent Youmans, Cole Porter, the present homage to the Duke, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, and Jimmy McHugh.Before all that, he had taped his Jazz Portrait of Frank Sinatra, presenting songs from the repertoire of the legendary singer.These massive songbook sessions, however, weren t Peterson s (or Granz s) first attempts into this territory.In fact, Peterson had already made extensive recordings of several composers in 1952, when his regular group consisted of Ray Brown on bass and Barney Kessel on guitar.During another set of marathon sessions during November and December 1952, they waxed numerous compositions by the Gershwin brothers, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.
