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 Genres: Jazz, 1950s
Oscar Peterson, born in Montreal in 1925, is widely considered to be one of the great jazz pianists of all time. Over the course of five decades, Peterson’s inimitable catalogue of compositions has earned him a place in the pantheon of jazz legends. He has played with many of the genre’s greatest contributors, including Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Roy Eldridge, Stan Getz and Charlie Parker.
Discovered by impresario Norman Granz, who invited Peterson to make his Carnegie Hall debut in 1949, Peterson went on to form the Oscar Peterson Trio. Known as the hardest working trio in the business, they were constantly practicing and honing their skills, and soon became one of the most widely recorded ensembles in the business. During 1962 alone the Trio turned out seven studio albums and four live albums, on top of a grueling international touring schedule. In 1964, Peterson completed his epic Canadiana Suite, which remains his best-known composition and perhaps his greatest achievement. Peterson has said of this work: “As a musician, I respond to the harmony and rhythm of life, and when I'm deeply moved it leaves something singing inside me. With a country as large and as full of contrast as
Canada, I had a lot of themes to choose from when I wrote the Canadiana Suite. This is my musical portrait of the Canada I love.”
Between 1945 and the present day, Peterson has recorded for Verve Records, MPS, Pablo Records and the Telarc label. He is represented by over 90 albums. In 1993, he suffered a serious stroke that weakened his left side and took him out of action for two years. Nonetheless he has overcome this setback and is touring, recording and composing as ever before. In 1997 he received a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement and an International Jazz Hall of Fame Award. In 2003, he recorded A Night in Vienna for Verve Records, a remarkable achievement which testifies that age has not diminished Peterson’s characteristic charm and his melodic inventiveness. For his 80th birthday, he became the first living person not a member of the British Royal family to appear on a Canadian postage stamp.
Songs (click on song title for more information):
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