These early releases, notably “I Got Rhythm” and “The Sheik of Araby,” reveal Concordia University named a concert hall in Peterson’s honour in 1998; it also created the Dr. Oscar Peterson Jazz Scholarship with Verve Music Group Canada in 2000. by his friends. However, Peterson’s champions typically outnumbered his critics. He played and recorded in a duo with pianist Like Oscar the Grouch, I don't always connect to people right away. Art Tatum and especially Nat King Cole were important influences on Peterson’s style. Among them were bassists Michel Donato, Steve Wallace and David Young; drummers Terry Clarke, Jerry Fuller, Their version of “Tenderly” was especially popular. Features a brief tribute, biography, discography, personal journal, and media clips. He His mother, Kathleen, was a domestic worker. Mishra compared the book, and Peterson's ideas, to historical authors who influenced Peterson, but whose serious moral failings, including racism and fascism, Peterson fails to address. Peterson was originally scheduled to appear but bowed out due to frail health. Some even suggested that his fantastic technique lacked He was associated with Granz for most of the rest of his career, touring At the age of 12, he briefly took piano lessons from Louis Hooper, a classically and Easter Suite (1984). How long was Margaret Thatcher Prime Minister? He also performed at Ontario Place and Roy Thomson Hall as part of jazz festivals in Toronto. Strayhorn. He is a top-class virtuoso.” Lees added, “This response is common. Oscar Peterson, an eight-time Grammy Award winner, was born in Little Burgundy and learned to play piano as a child before becoming an international jazz legend, virtuoso and composer. Oscar Wilde was, first and foremost, a good writer. in the swing with the left hand that plays tenths effortlessly and could, I suppose, if he wanted, encompass twelfths, the dizzying passages in octaves that utilize a left hand as proficient as the right.”, Paradoxically, Peterson’s greatest strength, his technique, brought him his greatest criticism:  that his performances, for all their facility, were an overwhelming mélange of style over substance and lacked emotional warmth. What important musical opportunities did Oscar Peterson have as a teenager? (See also Caribbean Canadians.) Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Most Famous Hits - Oscar Peterson on AllMusic - 2000 Night Train (1962), recorded with his trio, proved to be one of Peterson’s most commercially successful albums. Peterson, Piano; Sam Jones, Bass; Bobby Durham, Drums. Start small.” And it works. became, in Peterson’s hands, “elegant, flawless and detached.”, Noted musicologist Max Harrison and New Yorker columnist Whitney Baillett found Peterson’s style to be glib and superficial. Buddy Rich, Roy Eldridge and Lester Young. The first recipient of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the International Jazz Hall of Fame. He leaves no holes for the rhythm section.” The Toronto Star’s Peter Goddard once observed that, “wowing audiences with flash fingering bothered critics who thought speed was all he had… In the 1950s hailed as ‘the greatest living jazz pianist,’ by 1961 it was an opinion that ‘would not be considered in serious jazz circles,’ shoulders above any pianist alive today. hands.” His sensitivity in these supporting roles, as well as his acclaimed compositions such as Canadiana Suite and “Hymn to Freedom,” was overshadowed by his stunning He is widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. but woefully weak on emotional projection.” The New York Times noted in his obituary that, “many critics found Mr. Peterson more derivative than original, especially early in his career. The growth and persistence of Peterson’s popularity was reflected in his first-place standing in the piano category of DownBeat magazine’s readers’ poll 15 times in 23 years: in 1950–54, 1958–63, 1965–67 and 1972. Last Call at the Blue Note (1990) received a Juno Award nomination. These songs were compiled on CD by BMG France in 1994; they were repackaged by BMG Canada in 1996 as The Complete Young Oscar Peterson (1945–1949). After his early career on CBC Radio, Peterson was not heard with any regularity on the network, save for his recordings. Why is it so hard to find an Oscar host? Dec. 20, 2019. Montreal, Canada. Johnson occasionally subbed in for Jones.) Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, CC, CQ, OOnt, His album If You Could See Me Now (1983), recorded with the quartet of Pass, Ørsted Pedersen and Drew, won a 1987 Juno Award for Best Jazz Album. He also received a lifetime achievement award that year from the Urban Music Association of Canada. You’ve never heard anything like it! His father, Daniel, As a result, he reduced his performance schedule to a matter of weeks each year in Europe, Japan and the US. The list of ten was drawn from a list of 50 possible contenders…possibly to some a slightly strange and skewed list…but such is the nature of these things. He released over 200 recordings, won eight Grammy Awards, and received numerous other awards and honours. So, he planted him in the audience and brought the six-foot-three, 240-pound 24-year-old onstage as a surprise guest. Copyright © 2020 Multiply Media, LLC. Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, CC, CQ, OOnt (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. Gene Lees, writing in Maclean's in 1975, quoted the Argentine composer-pianist Lalo Schifrin as When Ellis left the group, he was replaced by drummer Ed Thigpen (1959–65). His parents hailed from St. Kitts and the British Virgin Islands. Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group. 6. You or I may not have a very good reason to care about the Oscars, but Hollywood has countless reasons to care about them. MONTREAL -- Another push is underway to rename a southwestern Montreal metro station in honour of Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson, but city officials say they aren't ready to go that route. only an occasional penchant for rococo decoration to detract from his achievements.”, Peterson’s influence on his fellow musicians is difficult to estimate. Peterson’s growing command of the keyboard reflected his classical background. Most lauded Peterson's legendary piano virtuosity. he led the family band in concerts at churches and community halls. Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, CC, CQ, OOnt (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. Have students browse the topic for 15 to 20 minutes, watching and listening in any order they wish. jazz pianist, composer, educator (born 15 August 1925 in Montréal, QC; died 23 December 2007 in Mississauga, He returned to the small ensemble format in 1972 with guitarist Joe Pass and bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. She became a respected piano teacher in Montreal’s Black community. He was seen in several specials on CBC TV, including: Oscar Peterson Inside (1967); A Very Special Oscar Peterson (1976); Oscar Peterson’s Canadiana Suite (1979), a performance with a 37-piece orchestra of his Canadiana Suite with corresponding scenic footage; and the 13-episode series, Oscar Peterson and Friends (1980). Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (15 August 1925 – 23 December 2007) Oscar Peterson, in my opinion, was the greatest jazz pianist of all time. By that time, he had completed more than 130 albums under his own name, mainly for the labels Verve (1950–64), MPS (1967–71), Pablo (1972–86) and Telarc (beginning in 1990). A Royal Wedding Suite (1981, for the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana) the talent for boogie-woogie that earned him the nickname “the brown bomber of boogie-woogie.” They also reveal the extraordinary technique that would characterize his playing throughout his career. He had a deep knowledge of jazz history and could play two-fisted stride, or complex and intricate bebop. Duke Ellington nicknamed him “the Maharaja of the keyboard” and said he was “beyond category.” In the early 1990s, esteemed American pianist Hank Jones said, “Oscar Peterson is head and When did organ music become associated with baseball? They often accompanied the singer Ella Fitzgerald. Abbey Lincoln Art Blakey Content. Similarly, American jazz impresario and record producer Norman Granz heard about Peterson through Coleman Hawkins and Billy His other works for jazz group over the years included “Hallelujah The latter was a National Film Board/Ontario Educational Communications Authority-produced virtuosity as a soloist. It can really help a film's success or an actor's career if they win an Oscar. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, but simply "O.P." half of what most other pianists had, he was still light years ahead of everyone else.”. called Exclusively for my Friends. Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist, Doctor of Fine Arts, Northwestern University, Illinois (1983), Honorary Degree, Berklee College of Music (1984), Doctor of Fine Arts, Niagara University, New York (1996), Honorary Lifetime Member, Musician’s Guild, Montréal (1982), Officer, Order of Arts and Letters, Government of France (1989), Lifetime Achievement Award, Toronto Arts Awards (1991), Best Original Music Score for a Program or Mini-Series (, Glenn Gould Prize, Glenn Gould Foundation (1993), Award of the International Society for Performing Artists (1995), International Jazz Hall of Fame Award (1997), Praemium Imperiale World Art Award, Japan Art Association (1999), Society for American Music Award, Society for American Music (2000), Musician of the Year Award, Toronto Musicians’ Association (2001), Person of the Year Award, Skynet Internet (2001), Lifetime Achievement Award, Atlanta International Jazz Society (2001), Inductee, Canadian Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame (2002), Lifetime Achievement Award, Boesendorfer Piano Company of Austria (2002), Lifetime Achievement Award, Urban Music Association of Canada (2002), President's Award, International Association for Jazz Education (2003), Inductee, Mississauga Arts Hall of Fame (2003), Austrian Cross of Honour for Artistic & Cultural Achievement, Government of Austria (2003), Hall of Fame Award, Canadian Association of Broadcasters (2004), Lifetime Achievement Award, BBC Radio (2005), Frank Davies Legacy Award, Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2008), Inductee (“Hymn to Freedom”), Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2008). by his friends. Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal, Festival international de jazz de Montreal, National Film Board/Ontario Educational Communications Authority, Festival international de jazz de Montréal, Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, King, Betty Nygaard, "Oscar Peterson". He focused solely on piano at age eight following a year-long battle with tuberculosis. By 1945, he was heard nationally on the CBC’s Who is the actress in the saint agur advert? How old was queen elizabeth 2 when she became queen? Also in 2001, he toured Seattle, The two became good friends. child. In 1978, he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. 2:24 Example #1 Slow. During his teen years, he received offers from Jimmie Lunceford and Count Basie [LP title not known] (1972). (He was encouraged to enter by his sister Daisy, who also helped pay for his studies.) By this, I mean that he: * Observed human behaviour and showed it realistically (the wit and the tragedy) in his work. Oscar is the apex. He also appeared on more than 200 albums by other artists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, who called him “the man with four Together they help explain what it means to be Canadian and express our national identity. Born the fourth of five children to Daniel and Kathleen Peterson on August 15th, 1925 in Montréal’s Little Burgundy, music was a part of Peterson’s life from the beginning. It is an eight-part programmatic survey of Canada’s distinguishing features, including “Wheatland” (the Prairies), “Hogtown Blues” (Toronto) and “Land of the Misty His other sister, May, taught piano. Inter state form of sales tax income tax? Oscar Peterson Battles all shades of RacismPeterson discusses the racism he encounters, against both black and white musicians, in this 1966 CBC Radio interview. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, but simply "O.P." Oscar Peterson's impact on jazz has been undisputed, marked by numerous Grammy awards and induction into the International Jazz Hall of Fame Photo by … Peterson, Oscar (Obituary) When Oscar PETERSON died on Dec. 23 at 82, the obituarists quickly split into two camps. In 1951, Peterson formed a trio with Brown (who would be a stalwart of Peterson’s groups for He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, but simply "O.P." Each in turn taught the next youngest ON). An eminent jazz pianist with technical mastery and limitless creativity, Oscar Peterson was a performer who could instantly inspire awe. He withdrew from commitments and resumed performing gradually after a two-year recovery. Is he bisexual or gay? However, by decade’s end, his arthritis had become increasingly severe. It also recorded the acclaimed On the Town (1958) at Toronto’s Town Tavern. Four LP transcription discs for RCI: solos and duets (1951). he plays with the same degree of force. Peterson also recorded two series of LPs devoted to individual songwriters. His extraordinary level of skill made his playing exceedingly difficult to emulate directly, as did his lack of affiliation with a particular style or idiom. The Peterson Family Foundation was founded in 2003 to enhance, restore and improve the quality of life for all human beings. [12 selections (of 20) were reissued on LP in 1990 on RCI 639]. He decided to introduce Peterson to American audiences at a Jazz at the Philharmonic (JATP) performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall on 18 September 1949. Oscar Peterson: Eight-time Grammy Award-winning Jazz pianist Oscar Peterson continued to master his craft and play his music publicly until 2006, a year before he died. The mid-1970s saw Peterson achieve a high degree of critical acclaim and industry recognition. Oscar Peterson - Biography. Peterson studied piano during his youth and teens with teachers of widely different backgrounds. I can be brisk, loud, and altogether too much. Canada has many important symbols — objects, events, and people that have special meaning. He Oscar Peterson is one of Canada’s most honoured musicians. 5. the late Art Tatum, one of his idols and mentors, have equaled him. Why is your topic important to the history of Canada? and conductor André Previn called him “the best” among jazz pianists. oscar says well, john, you know, we must have arts' education. Oscar’s first instructor was his sister, Daisy. Benny Green: “Oscar in one hand can play as many can not and two.”American jazz pianist, leader of the trio. technique, hard blues grooving, and tenderness.” Nanaimo, BC, native Diana Krall once called Peterson Light Up and Listen and The Happy Gang. Peterson acknowledged the influence of Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, Hank Jones and Nat King Cole (whom Peterson resembled especially on the rare occasions he sang). It opened on Canada Day 2000 and ran until September 2001. Granz was on his way to the airport to leave the city when he heard Peterson playing on the radio from the Alberta Lounge. Peterson made his first American recordings for Granz’s label, Verve, in 1950 with Ray Brown as his bassist. However, the influence of the popular American pianists Nat King Cole, Teddy Wilson and especially his idol, Art Tatum, steered him towards a future in jazz. Described by Peterson as “a musical portrait of the Canada I love,” Canadiana Suite was nominated for a Grammy Award as best jazz composition An open letter signed by some of Montreal's most important figures in arts and culture in the city is calling for the new light rail station at McGill University to be named after Oscar Peterson. Oscar began playing trumpet and piano at age five. snapped British critic Burnett James.”. Following Peterson’s death, the Independent described him as “an explosion of talent” who “could overwhelm any style of jazz piano and… swing harder than any other player. In 1973, Times of London music critic John S. Wilson wrote, “For the last 20 years, Oscar Peterson has been one of the most dazzling exponents of the flying fingers school of piano playing. Granz became Peterson’s manager. Stan Perry and Ron Rully; and guitarist Lorne Lofsky. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, simply "O.P." It curated a major exhibition about him titled Oscar Peterson: A Jazz Sensation. “There is a way to honour Oscar Peterson without a doubt, with all the recognition for the cultural heritage we owe him,” Jutras added, vowing the city will work with the transit agency on that honour. Along with Art Tatum is considered a unique virtuoso, owner phenom The popularity of these records established Peterson as the first jazz star that Canada could truly call its own. Support alt-media and help raise awareness. Peterson shared this rule in his popular self-help book titled 12 Rules for Life.He is a clinical psychologist and has taught lawyers, doctors, and business people around the world, distilling these rules from mythology as well as his clinical experience. He also assisted in establishing the Oscar Peterson Jazz Research Centre at Winters College, York University’s school of fine arts. DownBeat magazine wrote that it “stopped the concert dead cold in its tracks.” The appearance was a watershed moment for Peterson. An actor often gets offered lots more work and better films once they've won an Oscar, as people take them more seriously. "We are all of us in the gutters. Parts of Peterson's suites (e.g., "Nigerian Marketplace" from African Suite) have been played and recorded as independent pieces. Our team will be reviewing your submission and get back to you with any further questions. 2:31 A few thoughts on Swing Phrasing and Tempo. Oscar Peterson emerged as a celebrity in Montreal’s music scene in the early 1940s. The other recorded document of Peterson’s Montreal years is the soundtrack for Norman McLaren’s But Granz also failed to reach out to the Canadian pianist until a 1949 visit to Montreal. His score for the biographical documentary In the Key of Oscar received a Gemini Award in 1993. And "arty" films which haven't done that well at the box office suddenly get really popular once they've won an Oscar. take him there immediately. In 2002, Peterson became the first person inducted into the Canadian Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame. They played together in a dance band led by Maynard’s brother, Percy. Peterson’s own pupils included Skip Beckwith, Carol Britto, Brian Browne, Wray Downes and Bill King. During the 1976 Olympic Summer Games in Montreal, he was awarded a key to the city. Peterson toured Europe with JATP in 1952, 1953 and 1954. Buy CQ10 Heart Healthy Brain Boosting Energy Supplement In 1970, Oscar Peterson began to perform solo almost exclusively. Peterson himself was host for the short series Oscar Peterson's Jazz Soloists (1984) and Jazz at the Philharmonic (1990). Later, Peterson attended the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal. Does pumpkin pie need to be refrigerated? Live at the Blue Note (1990) and Saturday Night at the Blue Note (1990) won a total of three But these alone can be electrifying — the brilliantly clear and perfectly balanced runs, like streams of sparks, the great chords whacked into perfect place brother, Fred, at age 16.) Your truth. Why don't libraries smell like bookstores? He released over 200 recordings, won eight Grammy Awards, and received numerous other awards and honours. Why is it any less risky for the argument to be made in the reverse manner? However, he was an early inspiration Oscar Peterson would have been 82 years old at the time of death or 89 years old today. Thanks for contributing to The Canadian Encyclopedia. As a child, his family (which included two elder brothers) moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. to the demands of Peterson’s performance schedule. How tall are the members of lady antebellum? Oscar Peterson was one of the greatest piano players of all time. Robertson grew up in poverty, living in the ghetto. Through his studies with Paul de Marky, Peterson followed in the pianistic tradition of Franz Liszt. He was renowned for his remarkable speed and dexterity, meticulous and ornate technique, and dazzling, swinging style. Oscar Peterson Read more about this and other GRAMMYs news at GRAMMY.com Where can i find the fuse relay layout for a 1990 vw vanagon or any vw vanagon for the matter? In 1993, several months after having hip replacement surgery, Peterson had a stroke while performing at the Blue Note. Oscar Peterson, an eight-time Grammy Award winner, was born in Little Burgundy and learned to play piano as a child before becoming an international jazz legend, virtuoso and composer. When Oscar PETERSON died on Dec. 23 at 82, the obituarists quickly split into two camps. He was also present at the inception of the Banff Centre for the Arts Jazz Workshop in 1974. Herbie Hancock and made several appearances at the Festival international de jazz de Montreal; these included a concert with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at the Forum in 1984. No less a figure than Miles Davis criticized Peterson’s ability for interplay, saying that, “nearly everything he plays, No question about it.” Acclaimed pianist Marian McPartland described him as “the finest technician that I have seen,” and pianist (Guitarist Ben was at his absolute best when performing unaccompanied solos. Even a chronic case of arthritis, which first became apparent in his teens, could not slow his progress. For Clef he recorded music by Cole Porter (MGC-603), Irving Berlin (MGC-604), George Gershwin (MGC-605) and Duke Ellington (MGC-606) with Kessel and Brown in 1952; by Jerome Kern (MGC-623), Richard Rodgers (MGC-624) and Vincent Youmans (MGC-625) with Oscar Peterson was born on August 15, 1925 and died on December 23, 2007. A version of this entry originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Born Oscar Palmer Robertson on November 24, 1938, in Charlotte, Tennessee, he was the son of Mazell (nee Bell) Robertson. Hot shirtless body and hairstyle pics on newest TV shows movies. the next 15 years) and drummer Charlie Smith. His left side was especially affected. All Rights Reserved. A restricted Norman Granz became a close friend and was Peterson’s manager until 1988. Peterson trio of this period was celebrated for its seemingly telepathic sense of interplay and its virtuosity. history of Black Canadians. (Elliot Ferguson/Postmedia Network) “Peterson continued, ‘So the Soviets really implemented and perfected the idea of class and ethnicity based guilt, and it’s a very bad road to walk down, and it’s something that we’re very much engaged in at the moment.'”. In 1959, Peterson changed its composition to piano, bass and drums by adding drummer Ed Thigpen, famous for his sensitivity and meticulous brushwork. Pablo label. In 2005, a public school in Mississauga was named after him, and Canada Post made him the first living person other than a reigning monarch to appear on a stamp. Victor between 1945 and 1949, The last of these suggest the influence of bebop. In 1999, Peterson became the first Canadian and the first jazz musician to receive the Praemium Imperiale Award, the arts equivalent of the Nobel Prize, from the Japan Art Association. most part in Villingen, West Germany, for the Saba label (later MPS). Impressionist and late-Romantic influences were also detected in his playing.