Oscar Peterson

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For the U.S. Navy sailor and Medal of Honor recipient, see Oscar V. Peterson. Fo
r the American carver of fish decoys, see Oscar W. Peterson.
Oscar Peterson
Oscar Peterson - 1950.JPG
In "Jazz at the Philharmonic",
with Norman Granz (1950s)
Background information
Birth name Oscar Emmanuel Peterson
Born August 15, 1925
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Died December 23, 2007 (aged 82)
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Genres Jazz, bebop, hard bop, third stream, blues
Occupation(s) Musician, composer
Instruments Piano, clavichord, electric piano, synthesizer, organ, vocals
Years active 19452007
Labels RCA Victor, Mercury, MPS, Pablo, Telarc, Verve
Associated acts Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ray Brown, Clark Terry, Roy Eldrid
ge, Herb Ellis, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Norman Granz, Benny Green, Col
eman Hawkins, Barney Kessel, Milt Jackson, Niels-Henning rsted Pedersen, Joe Pass
, Ben Webster
Website www.oscarpeterson.com
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, CC, CQ, OOnt (August 15, 1925 December 23, 2007) was a
Canadian jazz pianist and composer. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard"
by Duke Ellington, but simply "O.P." by his friends.[1][2] He released over 200
recordings, won eight Grammy Awards, and received numerous other awards and hon
ours. He is considered one of the greatest jazz pianists,[3] and played thousand
s of concerts worldwide in a career lasting more than 60 years.
Contents [hide]
1 Biography
1.1 Norman Granz
1.2 Duets
1.3 Trio
1.4 Quartet
1.5 Further career
1.6 Composer and teacher
1.7 Stroke, later years and death
1.8 Personal life
2 Awards and recognition
2.1 Musical awards and recognition
2.2 Recognition in Canada
2.3 Grammy Awards
2.4 Honorary degrees conferred[49]
3 Instruments
4 Discography
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Biography[edit]
Peterson was born to immigrants from the West Indies; his father worked as a por
ter for Canadian Pacific Railway.[4] Peterson grew up in the neighbourhood of Li
ttle Burgundy in Montreal, Quebec. It was in this predominantly black neighbourh
ood that he found himself surrounded by the jazz culture that flourished in the
early 20th century.[5] At the age of five, Peterson began honing his skills with
the trumpet and piano. However, a bout of tuberculosis when he was seven preven
ted him from playing the trumpet again, and so he directed all his attention to
the piano. His father, Daniel Peterson, an amateur trumpeter and pianist, was on
e of his first music teachers, and his sister Daisy taught young Oscar classical
piano. Young Oscar was persistent at practicing scales and classical tudes daily
, and thanks to such arduous practice he developed his virtuosity.
As a child, Peterson also studied with Hungarian-born pianist Paul de Marky, a s
tudent of Istvn Thomn, who was himself a pupil of Franz Liszt, so his training was
predominantly based on classical piano. Meanwhile, he was captivated by traditi
onal jazz and learned several ragtime pieces and especially the boogie-woogie. A
t that time Peterson was called "the Brown Bomber of the Boogie-Woogie".[6]
At the age of nine Peterson played piano with control that impressed professiona
l musicians. For many years his piano studies included four to six hours of prac
tice daily. Only in his later years did he decrease his daily practice to just o
ne or two hours. In 1940, at fourteen years of age, Peterson won the national mu
sic competition organized by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. After that v
ictory, he dropped out of school and became a professional pianist working for a
weekly radio show, and playing at hotels and music halls.
Some of the artists who influenced Peterson's music during the earlier type of y
ears were Teddy Wilson, Nat "King" Cole, James P. Johnson and Art Tatum, to whom
many tried to compare Peterson in later years.[7] One of his first exposures to
Tatum's musical talents came early in his teen years when his father played a r
ecording of Tatum's "Tiger Rag" for him, and Peterson was so intimidated by what
he heard that he became disillusioned about his own playing, to the extent of r
efusing to play the piano at all for several weeks. In his own words, "Tatum sca
red me to death", and Peterson was "never cocky again" about his mastery at the
piano.[8] Tatum was a model for Peterson's musicianship during the 1940s and 195
0s. Tatum and Peterson eventually became good friends, although Peterson was alw
ays shy about being compared with Tatum and rarely played the piano in Tatum's p
resence.
Peterson also credited his sistera piano teacher in Montreal who also taught seve
ral other Canadian jazz musicianswith being an important teacher and influence on
his career. Under his sister's tutelage, Peterson expanded into classical piano
training and broadened his range while mastering the core classical pianism fro
m scales to preludes and fugues by Johann Sebastian Bach.[9]
Building on Tatum's pianism and aesthetics, Peterson also absorbed Tatum's music
al influences, notably from piano concertos by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Rachmaninoff
's harmonizations, as well as direct quotations from his 2nd Piano Concerto, are
thrown in here and there in many recordings by Peterson, including his work wit
h the most familiar formulation of the Oscar Peterson Trio, with bassist Ray Bro
wn and guitarist Herb Ellis. During the 1960s and 1970s Peterson made numerous t
rio recordings highlighting his piano performances that reveal more of his eclec
tic style that absorbed influences from various genres of jazz, popular and clas
sical music.
Norman Granz[edit]
An important step in Peterson's career was joining impresario Norman Granz's lab
els (especially Verve) and Granz's "Jazz at the Philharmonic" project. Granz dis
covered Peterson in a peculiar manner. As the impresario was being taken to Mont
real airport by cab, the radio was playing a live broadcast of Peterson at a loc
al night club. Granz was so smitten by what he heard that he ordered the driver
to take him to the club so that he could meet the pianist. In 1949, Granz introd
uced Peterson at a Carnegie Hall Jazz at the Philharmonic show in New York City.
[6]
So was born a lasting relationship and Granz remained Peterson's manager for mos
t of his career. This was more than a managerial relationship; Peterson praised
Granz for standing up for him and other black jazz musicians in the segregationi
st south of the 1950s and 1960s. For example, in the documentary video Music in
the Key of Oscar, Peterson tells how Granz stood up to a gun-toting southern pol
iceman who wanted to stop the trio from using "white-only" taxis.[10]
In the course of his career, Peterson developed a reputation as a technically br
illiant and melodically inventive jazz pianist and became a regular on Canadian
radio from the 1940s. His name was already recognized in the United States. Howe
ver, his 1949 debut at Carnegie Hall was uncredited; owing to union restrictions
, his appearance could not be billed.[11] Through Granz's Jazz at the Philharmon
ic he was able to play with the major jazz artists of the time.
Duets[edit]
Peterson made numerous duo performances and recordings with bassists Ray Brown,
Sam Jones, and Niels-Henning rsted Pedersen, guitarists Joe Pass, Irving Ashby, H
erb Ellis, and Barney Kessel, pianists Count Basie, Herbie Hancock, Benny Green,
and Oliver Jones, trumpeters Clark Terry and Louis Armstrong, and many other im
portant jazz players.[citation needed] His 1950s duo recordings with Ray Brown m
ark the formation of one of the longest lasting partnerships in the history of j
azz.
According to pianist/educator Mark Eisenman, some of Peterson's best playing was
as an understated accompanist to singer Ella Fitzgerald and trumpeter Roy Eldri
dge.[12]
Trio[edit]
Joe Pass and Oscar Peterson at Eastman Theatre Rochester, New York, in 1977
Peterson redefined the jazz trio by bringing the musicianship of all three membe
rs to the highest level. The trio with Ray Brown and Herb Ellis was, in his own
words, "the most stimulating" and productive setting for public performances as
well as in studio recordings. In the early 1950s, Peterson began performing with
Ray Brown and Charlie Smith as the Oscar Peterson Trio. Shortly afterward the d
rummer Smith was replaced by guitarist Irving Ashby, formerly of the Nat King Co
le Trio. Ashby, who was a swing guitarist, was soon replaced by Kessel.[13] Kess
el tired of touring after a year, and was succeeded by Ellis. As Ellis was white
, Peterson's trios were racially integrated, a controversial move at the time th
at was fraught with difficulties with segregationist whites and blacks.
Oscar Peterson at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival is widely regarded as the
landmark album in Peterson's career, and one of the most influential trios in j
azz.[citation needed] Their last recording, On the Town with the Oscar Peterson
Trio, recorded live at the Town Tavern in Toronto, captured a remarkable degree
of emotional as well as musical understanding between three players.[14] All thr
ee musicians were equal contributors involved in a highly sophisticated improvis
ational interplay. When Ellis left the group in 1958, Peterson and Brown believe
d they could not adequately replace Ellis. Ellis was replaced by drummer Ed Thig
pen in 1959. Brown and Thigpen worked with Peterson on his albums Night Train an
d Canadiana Suite. Brown and Thigpen left in 1965 and were replaced by bassist S
am Jones and drummer Louis Hayes (and later, drummer Bobby Durham). The trio per
formed together until 1970. In 1969 Peterson recorded Motions and Emotions, feat
uring orchestral arrangements of pop songs such as The Beatles' "Yesterday" and
"Eleanor Rigby". In the fall of 1970, Peterson's trio released the album Tristez
a on Piano. Jones and Durham left in 1970.
In the 1970s Peterson formed another trio with guitarist Pass and Niels-Henning r
sted Pedersen on bass. This trio emulated the success of the 1950s trio with Bro
wn and Ellis, gave acclaimed performances at numerous festivals, and made best-s
elling recordings, most notably The Trio, which won the 1974 Grammy for Best Jaz
z Performance by a Group, and the 1978 double album recorded live in Paris. In 1
974 Oscar added British drummer Martin Drew, and this quartet toured and recorde
d extensively worldwide. Pass said in a 1976 interview: "The only guys I've hear
d who come close to total mastery of their instruments are Art Tatum and Peterso
n".
Quartet[edit]
A quartet was a less permanent setting for Peterson, after the trio or duo, as i
t was hard to find equally powerful musicians available for a tightly knit arran
gement with him. After the loss of Ellis his next trio eventually consisted of a
drummer instead of a guitaristfirst Gene Gammage for a brief time, then Thigpen.
In this group Peterson became the dominant soloist. Later members of the group
were Louis Hayes, Bobby Durham, Ray Price, Sam Jones, George Mraz, Martin Drew,
Terry Clarke and Lorne Lofsky.[3]
Peterson often formed a quartet by adding a fourth player to his existing trios.
He was open to experimental collaborations with jazz stars, such as saxophonist
Ben Webster, trumpeter Clark Terry, and vibraphonist Milt Jackson among others.
In 1961, the Peterson trio with Jackson recorded the album Very Tall.
Further career[edit]
From the late 1950s, when Peterson gained worldwide recognition as one of the le
ading pianists in jazz, he played in a variety of settings: solo, duo, trio, qua
rtet, small bands, and big bands. However, his solo piano recitals, as well as h
is solo piano recordings were rare, until he chose to make a series of solo albu
ms titled Exclusively for My Friends. These solo piano sessions, made for the Mu
sik Produktion Schwarzwald (MPS) label, were Peterson's response to the emergenc
e of such stars as Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner.
Some cognoscenti assert that Peterson's best recordings were made for MPS in the
late 1960s and early 1970s. For some years subsequently he recorded for Granz's
Pablo Records after the label was founded in 1973.[15] In the 1990s and 2000s h
e recorded several albums accompanied by a combo for Telarc.
In the 1980s he played successfully in a duo with pianist Herbie Hancock. In the
late 1980s and 1990s, after a stroke, Peterson made performances and recordings
with his protg Benny Green.
Composer and teacher[edit]
Peterson in 1977
Peterson wrote pieces for piano, for trio, for quartet and for big band. He also
wrote several songs, and made recordings as a singer. Probably his best-known c
ompositions are "Canadiana Suite" and "Hymn to Freedom", the latter composed in
the 1960s and inspired by the civil rights movement in the United States.
Peterson taught piano and improvisation in Canada, mainly in Toronto. With assoc
iates, he started and headed the Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toront
o for five years during the 1960s, but it closed because concert touring called
him and his associates away, and it did not have government funding.[16] Later,
he mentored the York University jazz program and was the Chancellor of the entir
e university for several years in the early 1990s. He also published his origina
l jazz piano etudes for practice. However, he asked his students to study the mu
sic of Johann Sebastian Bach, especially The Well-Tempered Clavier, the Goldberg
Variations, and The Art of Fugue, considering these piano pieces essential for
every serious pianist. Pianists Benny Green and Oliver Jones were among his stud
ents.[17]
Stroke, later years and death[edit]
Tombstone of Oscar Peterson at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Mississauga
Peterson had arthritis since his youth, and in later years could hardly button h
is shirt. Never slender, his weight increased to 125 kg (276 lb), hindering his
mobility. He had hip replacement surgery in the early 1990s.[18] Although the su
rgery was successful, his mobility was still inhibited. Somewhat later, in 1993,
Peterson suffered a serious stroke that weakened his left side and sidelined hi
m for two years. Also in 1993 incoming Prime Minister and longtime Peterson fan
and friend Jean Chrtien offered Peterson the position of Lieutenant-Governor of O
ntario, but according to Chrtien he declined, citing the health problems from his
recent stroke.[19]
After the stroke, Peterson recuperated for about two years. He gradually regaine
d mobility and some control of his left hand. However, his virtuosity was never
restored to the original level, and his playing after his stroke relied principa
lly on his right hand.[20] In 1995 he returned to public performances on a limit
ed basis, and also made several live and studio recordings for Telarc. In 1997 h
e received a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement and an International Jazz Hall of F
ame Award. Canadian politician, friend, and amateur pianist Bob Rae contends tha
t "a one-handed Oscar was better than just about anyone with two hands".[21]
In 2003, Peterson recorded the DVD A Night in Vienna for Verve, with Niels-Henni
ng rsted Pedersen (NHP), Ulf Wakenius and Martin Drew. He continued to tour the U.
S. and Europe, though maximally one month a year, with a couple of days' rest be
tween concerts to recover his strength. His accompanists consisted of Ulf Wakeni
us (guitar), NHP or David Young (bass),[22] and Alvin Queen (drums).
Peterson's health declined rapidly in 2007. He had to cancel his performance at
the 2007 Toronto Jazz Festival and his attendance at a June 8, 2007, Carnegie Ha
ll all-star performance in his honour, owing to illness. On December 23, 2007, P
eterson died of kidney failure at his home in Mississauga, Ontario.[23][24]
Personal life[edit]
Peterson was married four times: Lillie Fraser (1944; two sons; three daughters;
marriage dissolved); Sandra King (marriage 1958, dissolved 1976); Charlotte Hub
er (1977, one daughter; marriage dissolved); Kelly Green (1987(?), one daughter)
. [25][26]
He had seven children, the youngest of whom was Cline (born 1991), his daughter b
y Kelly Green.
Awards and recognition[edit]
Musical awards and recognition[edit]
Begone Dull Care is an abstract film presentation of Peterson's music, directed
by Norman McLaren and Evelyn Lambart, and released in 1949 by the National Film
Board of Canada.[27]
Peterson's work earned him eight Grammy awards over the years and he was elected
to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1978. He also belongs to the Juno Awards
Hall of Fame and the Canadian Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame. In 2013, Peterson was
inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
Peterson received the first Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award from Bl
ack Theatre Workshop (1986), Roy Thomson Award (1987), a Toronto Arts Award for
lifetime achievement (1991), the Governor General's Performing Arts Award (1992)
, the Glenn Gould Prize (1993), the award of the International Society for Perfo
rming Artists (1995), the Loyola Medal of Concordia University (1997), the Gramm
y Lifetime Achievement Award (1997), the Praemium Imperiale World Art Award (199
9), the UNESCO Music Prize (2000), the Toronto Musicians' Association Musician o
f the Year award (2001), and an honorary LLD from the University of the West Ind
ies (2006).
In 1999, Concordia University in Montreal renamed their Loyola-campus concert ha
ll Oscar Peterson Concert Hall in his honour.[28]
In 2005, Peterson celebrated his 80th birthday at the HMV flagship store in Toro
nto, where a crowd of about 200 gathered to celebrate with him. Longtime admirer
and fellow Canadian Diana Krall sang "Happy Birthday" to him and also performed
a vocal version of one of Peterson's songs, "When Summer Comes". The lyrics for
this version were written by Elvis Costello, Krall's husband. Canada Post unvei
led a commemorative postage stamp in Peterson's honour. The event was covered by
a live radio broadcast by Toronto jazz station JAZZ.FM.
Peterson received the BBC-Radio Lifetime Achievement Award, London, United Kingd
om.[29]
"Technique is something you use to make your ideas listenable", he once told jaz
z writer Len Lyons. "You learn to play the instrument so you have a musical voca
bulary, and you practice to get your technique to the point you need to express
yourself, depending on how heavy your ideas are".
"Some may criticize Peterson for not advancing, for finding his niche and stayin
g with it for an entire career, but while he may not be the most revolutionary a
rtist in jazz, the documentary Music in the Key of Oscar demonstrates that break
ing down barriers can be accomplished in more ways than one".[30] "He was a crys
tallizer, rather than an innovator".[20]
"His hands could do things few piano players can do", said pianist Bill King, wh
o studied with Peterson at his music school. Because Peterson was a big man, sta
nding six feet, three inches, he could stretch his hands over a keyboard in a wa
y few musicians can match.[31]
Ray Charles, in Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues - Piano Blues (2003), comment
ed that Peterson was the only other piano player who could come close to the tec
hnical skills of Art Tatum, praising his abilities with "Oscar could play like a
motherfucker!"
Piano manufacturer Bsendorfer released a limited edition Oscar Peterson Signature
Edition Piano in honour of the 90th anniversary of Peterson's birth. Each of th
e 12 pianos of this limited edition has built-in Yamaha Disklavier E3 technology
that will play 12 compositions recorded by Peterson in 1980. The recordings cap
tured key and pedal data of those performances and were then remastered for the
Peterson Limited Edition so that the Disklavier can play one of these musical co
mpositions as Peterson would have done in 1980.[32]
One of the signature pianos is located in the lobby of the Arts Commons (formerl
y, Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where it
will be used by performers and also to play the 12 recorded performances by Pete
rson. The piano was inaugurated at a gala performance on April 2, 2016, by Tommy
Banks and the Peterson performances. Peterson's widow, Kelly, was in attendance
and said that tears came to my eyes the first time I heard Oscars notes resonate
from the piano. [33]
In 2008, Peterson was awarded, posthumously, the Special Achievement Award at th
e SOCAN Awards in Toronto.[34]
Recognition in Canada[edit]
The Statue of Peterson at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, unveiled in June 2
010 by the reigning sovereign of Canada, Queen Elizabeth II[35]
While Peterson was recognized as a great jazz pianist both at home in Canada and
internationally, he was also regarded in Canada as a distinguished public figur
e. His notable personage is evident in the acclaim and awards he received, parti
cularly in the latter two decades of his life.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (the country s highest civilian st
ate order for talent and service) in 1972, and promoted to Companion of the orde
r (the highest degree of merit and humanity), in 1984. He was also a member of t
he Order of Ontario, a Chevalier of the National Order of Quebec, and an officer
of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France.
From 1991 to 1994, Peterson was chancellor of York University in Toronto. The ch
ancellor is the titular head of the university. Weeks after his death, the Provi
nce of Ontario announced a C$4 million scholarship for the "Oscar Peterson Chair
" for Jazz Performance at York University with an additional C$1 million to be a
warded annually in music scholarships to underprivileged York students in tribut
e to Peterson.[31]
Peterson s niece, television journalist Sylvia Sweeney, produced a documentary f
ilm, In the Key of Oscar, about Peterson in 1992.
Unlike most other jazz musicians, Peterson was networked with Canadian elites in
the later years of his life. For example, former Ontario premier Bob Rae recall
ed that in 2007, himself, Ontario Chief Justice Roy McMurtry, and former Ontario
premier Bill Davis celebrated McMurtry s retirement with Peterson, his wife, an
d their wives.[36]
Peterson received honorary doctorates from many Canadian universities: Carleton
University, Queen s University, Concordia University, McMaster University, Mount
Allison University, the University of Victoria, the University of Western Ontar
io, York University, the University of Toronto, and the Universit Laval, as well
as from Northwestern University and Niagara University in the United States. Con
cordia University s main concert hall and performing arts venue is named after P
eterson.
In 2004, the City of Toronto named the courtyard of the Toronto-Dominion Centre
Oscar Peterson Square. In 2005, the Peel District School Board in suburban Toron
to opened the Oscar Peterson school in Mississauga, Ontario, two miles from his
home. Peterson said, "This is a most unexpected and moving tribute".[37] He visi
ted the school several times and donated electronic musical equipment to it.[20]
Soon after Peterson s death, the University of Toronto Mississauga opened a maj
or student residence in March 2008 as "Oscar Peterson Hall".[38] He won the Civi
c Award of Merit, the City of Mississauga s highest honour, in 2003. He moved to
Mississauga c. 1971.[39]
Former Canadian prime minister Jean Chrtien wanted in 1993 to put Peterson forwar
d to the Governor General of Canada for appointment to the post of Lieutenant Go
vernor of Ontario, but Peterson felt that his health could not stand up to the m
any ceremonial duties that this position would require. "He was the most famous
Canadian in the world", said Chrtien. Chrtien also said that Nelson Mandela glowed
when meeting Peterson. "It was very emotional. They were both moved to meet eac
h other. These were two men with humble beginnings who rose to very illustrious
levels".[40]
A memorial concert, held on January 12, 2008, filled the 2500-seat Roy Thomson H
all in Toronto. People had queued for more than three hours to get in. Governor
General Michalle Jean reported at the concert that "thousands" more could not get
in. Among the performers were Grgory Charles, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Phil
Nimmons and singers Audrey Morris and Nancy Wilson. The "Oscar Peterson" quarte
t played key pieces; they were Monty Alexander, Jeff Hamilton, Ulf Wakenius and
Dave Young. All toured with Peterson during his late "one-handed" period, except
Alexander. The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, University of Toronto Gospel Choir[41] a
nd Sharon Riley & the Faith Chorale, under the direction of Andrew Craid along w
ith opera soprano Measha Brueggergosman closed the show, singing an excerpt from
Peterson s "Hymn to Freedom".[21][42]
A movement was begun on Facebook to rename the Lionel-Groulx Metro station, a tr
ansfer station between Montreal s Green Line and Orange Line, in honour of Oscar
Peterson. The Montreal Transit Corporation, however, refused to end its morator
ium on renaming Metro stations. The city s policy on landmark tributes is to wai
t at least a year after a public figure s death.[43][44][45][46]
An Ontario school named Oscar Peterson Public School was opened in Stouffville i
n the Regional Municipality of York on April 30, 2009,[47] and commenced operati
on in the 200910 school year. In June 2010 a life size bronze statue of Peterson
was unveiled in Ottawa by Queen Elizabeth II during her royal tour of Canada.[48
]
Grammy Awards[edit]
1975 Best Jazz Performance by a Group The Trio - Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass and Ni
els-Henning rsted Pedersen
1977 Best Jazz Performance by a Soloist The Giants - Oscar Peterson
1978 Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist Oscar Peterson Jam Montreux 77
1979 Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist Oscar Peterson and The Trumpet
Kings Jousts - Oscar Peterson
1990 Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio
Live at the Blue Note
1990 Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist The Legendary Oscar Peterson Tr
io Live at the Blue Note
1991 Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group Saturday Night at the Blue Note
1997 Lifetime Achievement Award Instrumental Soloist Lifetime Achievement
Honorary degrees conferred[49][edit]
1973 Carleton University - Doctor of Laws
1976 Queen s University - Doctor of Laws
1979 Concordia University - Doctor of Laws[50]
1980 Mount Alison, Sackville N.B. - Doctor of Music
1981 McMaster University - Doctor of Laws
1981 University of Victoria, B.C. - Doctor of Laws
1982 York University - Doctor of Letters
1983 Northwestern University, Illinois - Doctor of Fine Arts
1985 University of Toronto - Doctor of Laws
1985 Laval University - Doctor of Music
1991 York University: Installed as Chancellor by the Board of Governors[51]
1994 York University: Chancellor Emeritus[51]
1994 Western Ontario Conservatory of Music - Licentiate in Music Diploma
1994 University of British Columbia - Doctor of Laws
1996 Niagara University, New York - Doctor of Fine Arts
1999 University of Western Ontario - Doctor of Laws
Instruments[edit]
Bsendorfer pianos - 1990s and 2000s, some performances from the 70s onward.
Yamaha - Acoustic and Disklavier- 1998-2006 in Canada (Touring and Recording)
Steinway & Sons Model A (which currently resides at Village Studios in Hollywood
) - most performances from the 1940s through the 1980s, some recordings.
Baldwin pianos - some performances in the USA, some recordings.
C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik pianos - some performances and recordings in Europ
e.
Petrof pianos - some performances in Europe.
Clavichord - on album Porgy and Bess with Joe Pass
Fender Rhodes electric piano - several recordings.
Synthesizer - several recordings.
Hammond organ - some live performances and several recordings.
Vocals - some live performances and several recordings.
Discography[edit]
Further information: Oscar Peterson discography
See also[edit]
Music portal
icon Jazz portal
icon Music of Canada portal
icon Piano portal
Music of Canada
List of jazz pianists
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Remarks by Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones and Bob Rae, Oscar Peterson Tr
ibute - Simply The Best. Concerts On Demand. CBC Radio Two (January 12, 2008). R
etrieved on January 13, 2008.
Jump up ^ Severo, Richard (October 20, 2010). "OSCAR PETERSON: 1925-2007 / Virtu
oso pianist - among jazz world s giants". The San Francisco Chronicle.
^ Jump up to: a b Scott Yanow. "Oscar Peterson Biography". allmusic. Retrieved J
anuary 28, 2007.. With typical modesty, Peterson hailed Art Tatum as the greates
t jazz pianist, declaring: "Musically speaking, he was and is my musical God, an
d I feel honored to remain one of his humbly devoted disciples." Journal, Oscar
Peterson, March 7, 2004; Jazz Professional, 1962, http://www.jazzprofessional.co
m/interviews/Oscar%20Peterson_Points.htm
Jump up ^ "Obituaries: Oscar Peterson". The Daily Telegraph. London. 26 December
2007. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Little Burgundy". McGill University. Retrieved December 25, 2007.
^ Jump up to: a b J. D. Considine (December 26, 2007). "King of the keys made ja
zz a pleasure". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on Decem
ber 26, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2008.
Jump up ^ Oscar Peterson | Bio
Jump up ^ Don Heckman (December 25, 2007). "Oscar Peterson, 82; pianist dazzled
jazz world with technique, creativity". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the ori
ginal on December 28, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2008.
Jump up ^ William R Cunningham and Sylvia Sweeney, In the Key of Oscar, National
Film Board of Canada, 1992.
Jump up ^ View Video, 2004.
Jump up ^ Chilton, John (2002-08-05). Roy Eldridge, Little Jazz Giant. Bloomsbur
y Academic. ISBN 9780826456922.
Jump up ^ Shsante Infantry (December 26, 2007). "Oscar Peterson, 82: Jazz giant"
. The Toronto Star. Retrieved January 12, 2008.
Jump up ^ "A look at Oscar Peterson s career:". oscarpeterson.com. Archived from
the original on April 28, 2007. Retrieved May 23, 2007.
Jump up ^ Nat Hentoff. Co-editor, The Jazz Review.
Jump up ^ Yanow, Scott (2000-01-01). Bebop. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978087
9306083.
Jump up ^ Al Levy (21 November 2004). "Oscar Peterson". alevy.com. Retrieved 200
8-01-12.
Jump up ^ "Several of jazz world s top names to honour Oscar Peterson at free co
ncert". The Canadian Press. January 12, 2008. Archived from the original on Dece
mber 31, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2008.
Jump up ^ "Peterson, Oscar". MusicWeb Encyclopaedia of Popular Music. Archived f
rom the original on May 22, 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2007.
Jump up ^ Alexander Panetta. "Chrtien calls Peterson most famous Canadian , says
Mandela was moved to meet him". CANOE. The Canadian Press. Archived from the or
iginal on December 26, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2007.
^ Jump up to: a b c CBC Radio 2, Tonic:"About Oscar s Legacy," Part 8.
^ Jump up to: a b "Oscar Peterson Tribute - Simply The Best". Concerts On Demand
. CBC Radio Two. January 12, 2008. Archived from the original on January 15, 200
8. Retrieved January 13, 2008.
Jump up ^ Banff Centre faculty
Jump up ^ "Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson dies". CBC News. December 24, 2007
. Retrieved December 24, 2007.
Jump up ^ Levine, Doug (December 27, 2007). "Jazz World Mourns Oscar Peterson".
VOA News. Voice of America. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
Jump up ^ Obituary The Independent (UK)
Jump up ^ Biography
Jump up ^ "Begone Dull Care Senses of Cinema". sensesofcinema.com. Retrieved 201
7-02-28.
Jump up ^ "Oscar Peterson concert hall". Concordia University. Retrieved January
28, 2007.
Jump up ^ 2005 Winners BBC Jazz Awards
Jump up ^ John Kelman, "Oscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar". All About Ja
zz, September 24, 2004.
^ Jump up to: a b " I don t think we ll ever see another Oscar Peterson : Oliver
Jones". CBC News. January 11, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2008.
Jump up ^ "Oscar Peterson Signature Edition Piano". Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Jump up ^ Nick Lees. "Music history was made in Edmonton with limited edition Bse
ndorfer piano". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Jump up ^ http://www.socan.ca/about/awards/2008-socan-awards
Jump up ^ "Oscar Peterson sculpture awaits Queen s hand". CBC News. June 16, 201
0. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
Jump up ^ Rick Salutin s column, Toronto Globe and Mail, January 18, 2007.
Jump up ^ "Oscar Peterson in concert at Mississauga public school". CNW newswire
.ca. October 11, 2005. Retrieved January 28, 2007.
Jump up ^ [1] Archived May 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
Jump up ^ "Legendary Jazz Pianist to Receive City s Highest Award", Mississauga
Newsroom, September 8, 2003.
Jump up ^ "Chrtien recalls Mandela, Peterson meeting". CTV.ca. December 24, 2007.
Archived from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved January 11, 2008.
Jump up ^ "University of Toronto Gospel Choir". Utgc.org. Retrieved 2012-03-26.
Jump up ^ [2] Archived August 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
Jump up ^ Armstrong, Natalie (March 6, 2008). "No Montreal Metro tribute for jaz
z great Peterson". Reuteurs.
Jump up ^ "Put his name on the map, not a mtro station". Montreal Gazette. 2008-0
3-06.
Jump up ^ Peritz, Ingrid (March 6, 2008). "Peterson tribute proposal hits sour n
ote". Toronto: The Globe and Mail.
Jump up ^ Van Gelder, Lawrence (March 7, 2008). "Oscar Peterson Proposal in Mont
real Causes Flap". The New York Times.
Jump up ^ ""Celebrate the Jazz" - Oscar Peterson Public School Official Opening"
. York Region District School Board. Retrieved November 3, 2009.
Jump up ^ Martin Knelman (June 29, 2010). "Knelman: Oscar Peterson s piano lives
on in Ottawa". Toronto Star. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
Jump up ^ King, Betty Nygaard. "Oscar Peterson". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retr
ieved 2017-02-28.
Jump up ^ "Honorary Degree Citation - Oscar Peterson* | Concordia University Arc
hives". archives.concordia.ca. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
^ Jump up to: a b "YFile Ron Westray appointed as Oscar Peterson Chair". yfile-a
rchive.news.yorku.ca. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
External links[edit]
Oscar Peterson at the Internet Movie Database
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oscar Peterson.
Official website
Alan Hustak, "Jazz Legend, Oscar Peterson, dies at 82", The Montreal Gazette, De
cember 24, 2007.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation full obituary, December 24, 2007.
CBC Digital Archives: Oscar Peterson: A Jazz Giant
Oscar Peterson postage stamp
Jazz Giant The Oscar Peterson Discography
John Fordham, "Oscar Peterson (obituary)", The Guardian, December 25, 2007.
Oscar Peterson at Find a Grave
Marian McPartland and Oscar Peterson on NPR
Oscar Peterson video interview in which his passion for photography is discussed
.
Oscar Peterson, A Portrait, 2002
Oscar Peterson on Jazz Police
Oscar Peterson s Concert Hall
Oscar Peterson entry at the Jazz Discography Project
Oscar Peterson: A Jazz SensationA Virtual Exhibition from Library and Archives Ca
nada
"Oscar Peterson Tribute: Feelings from the Heart". From The Living Arts Centre,
February 14, 2008.[dead link]
Steve Voce, "Oscar Peterson: Virtuoso pianist who dominated jazz piano in the se
cond half of the 20th century (obituary)", The Independent, December 26, 2007.
Oscar Peterson transcriptions, December 2010.
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