Tour De Force is a 1955 jazz studio session featuring Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie and Harry Sweets Edison, backed by Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and Buddy Rich on drums. Recorded in New York City on November 2, 1955, it was originally issued by Verve as MGV-8212 and later reissued by Fresh Sound in its 1600 Series as Tour De Force. The session is part of the Jazz at the Philharmonic golden era (1944-1958) and is noted for trumpet conversations rather than battles. Eldridge plays with a relaxed, natural tone while Gillespie and Edison trade ideas over a swinging rhythm section. The program comprises Steeplechase, a Ballad Medley, and the title Tour De Force, with solos by Peterson, Eldridge, Gillespie and Edison, for a total of about 37 minutes. This recording is regarded as one of the finest examples from that era, and the Fresh Sound page notes that the studio session has never been reissued on CD.
