Rip Oscar Peterson !!

[dan p]

Just heard the news that one of the great legends of jazz has died.I was just a kid and his playin made the hairs on my back stand up.I was truly inspired by his playing.If you want to hear some of the best piano improvisation ever check him out.His recordings will live forever


Dan P

[rghose]

He'll be missed for sure.

Here's a little bit about his life:

CBC.ca Arts - Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson dies

[henryrobinett]

Damn. I loved his playing. He was amazing. Some of the hip didn't dig him so much. I think in some ways his reputation suffered because he was too good. He was alone in his class, and this drew criticism. Stupid.

[DeathMonkey]

I have 4 different compilations/retrospectives/boxed sets of his stuff. LOVE his playing. I agree, his playing wasn't quirky like Monk or Tatum, nor uber-hip like Bud Powell or Brubeck, it was just great freakin music. I always linked him and Coleman Hawkins as two players who transcended stylistic shifts in Jazz, and just played fabulous music.

Number 5 on the 100 top greats thumbsup

100 Greatest Jazz Pianists

[dan p]

I went to the concord jazz festival in the late sixties and saw Oscar with Nils and I think it was Joe Pass.I will never forget that show.He wowed the crowd.His improvs,the way he accented his lines still excites me on those old recordings.

[noiseflaw]

RIP Oscar.

Fabulous Musician.

[Drumsound]

A major loss.

[kellyd]

I saw him in Toronto in 1980. Smokin! As a teenager I used to play the hell out of anything that had Oscar and Ray Brown on it. Being a bassist, Mr Brown has alwas been a fav. Oscar will be sadly missed. One of the greats.

[bgroup]

VERY sad... I was a protege of his and studied piano privately with him for a year. Beyond his ridiculous musicianship, one of the most amazing, inspiring and gracious people I've ever encountered...

[soultrane]

r.i.p... the greatest...

i met his piano tech one time, telling me about his boesendofers... he told me oscar always warmed up w. the bach "48" preludes and fugues and was very fluent w. the classics...

he never recorded any of his classical playing, i don't believe.

another thing was he was fascinated w. technology, the synclavier and the like. i don't know if he ever released any of his electronic stuff, either?

maybe there is alot of unreleased recorded music?!?!?

[theblue1]

Another jazz saint...

[sigh]

Originally Posted by bgroup

VERY sad... I was a protege of his and studied piano privately with him for a year. Beyond his ridiculous musicianship, one of the most amazing, inspiring and gracious people I've ever encountered...

Wow. What a wonderful opportunity that must have been. Wow.

[vince @ speck]

For those of you who don't know of Oscar Peterson, take a few moments to listen to his work.

Oscar Peterson Audio Player

....and he was also a world class photographer.

[avedis]

The Oscar Peterson Trio was one of the first jazz records I heard that someone gave me wanting me to listen to Herb Ellis on guitar. On the record liner notes, Oscar would purposely de-tune Herbs guitar during break and let him figure it out by ear.

Truly all great musicians we were fortunate to capture on record. Now there's a lot of good stuff coming out on YouTube.

Avedis

[deve]

His trio with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown was fantastic. Oscar had incredible chops. I used to play along with his trio records. My favorite is Live at Concertgebouw. It's a blessing for drummers. You practice along with the best players on earth.

[drBill]

Originally Posted by vince @ speck

For those of you who don't know of Oscar Peterson, take a few moments to listen to his work.

Oscar Peterson Audio Player

....and he was also a world class photographer.

Thanks Vince! Listening to some stuff I hadn't heard in years brought a tear to my eyes.

Thank you Oscar. Godspeed.

[ISedlacek]

If God would play jazz piano, it would look like this:

YouTube - Oscar Peterson - You Look Good To Me

YouTube - Goodbye Oscar Peterson

YouTube - Sweet Georgia Brown (here after 3:00 it is beyond believing ...)


Let your soul rest in the eternal jazz heaven ...

[klaukholm]

Another of the greats has passed.
He gave us all so much!

[travisbrown]

After one of his more severe strokes about ten/fifteen years ago, Oscar used his left hand less and less, just hitting the odd note here and there. He was still running circles around other players with just his right hand.

Kinda proud that both Glenn Gould and Oscar Peterson were Canadians - best of both worlds.

[jhg]

Very sad, RIP.

He was such a monster on the keys: and a great singer as well. My grandfather, a really old school jazz afficianado claimed the Nat King Cole and Oscar Petersen made an agreement - Nat did the singing and Oscar took the piano.

When you're listening to Oscar Peterson, think of the 10ths he could span with one hand, and the 10 note chords he played. Wow.

[Shan]

Rest in peace my fellow Canuck. Another Jazz giant that has been a huge influence for many.

Shane

[alex3368]

let me cry for him.
One of my favorite vinyls is "Motion & Emotions" directed by Claus Ogerman.
Let's listen to it, and let's go f/&/&% off...

All of us.

R.I.P. and thank you

[TheRealRoach]

I was lucky to see him less than two years ago perform here in Toronto at Roy Thompson hall for a benefit concert. Did a full 45 minute set. He had a standing ovation as he walked by himself out to the piano (usually he was in a wheel chair) and at that point a tear came to my eye.

I was sitting next to many other formidable Canadian musicians as well that night and we were all nudging each other all night as if you say, "can you believe we're seeing/hearing this?"

An untouchable. Also very admirable because he avoided the drug scene that snared so many other greats.

[obostic]

Originally Posted by vince @ speck

For those of you who don't know of Oscar Peterson, take a few moments to listen to his work.

Oscar Peterson Audio Player

....and he was also a world class photographer.

Thanks Vince for sharing, absolutely beautiful! It's quite sad to see so many of the greats perish in my life time and leads me to often wonder will this level of musicianship exist in the future.

[David Robinson]

Originally Posted by obostic

Thanks Vince for sharing, absolutely beautiful! It's quite sad to see so many of the greats perish in my life time and leads me to often wonder will this level of musicianship exist in the future.

hi,
i believe it will, and does already, but in different forms now.

but, without Oscar P., and others like him, this development would be certainly slower, if it happened at all.

R.I.P.

Oscar P.

greatest respect,
DR9.

[Remoteness]

Originally Posted by travisbrown

After one of his more severe strokes about ten/fifteen years ago, Oscar used his left hand less and less, just hitting the odd note here and there. He was still running circles around other players with just his right hand.

Kinda proud that both Glenn Gould and Oscar Peterson were Canadians - best of both worlds.

Yes indeed, his right hand had some fast fingers for sure.

He played his last performances at Birdland where his piano remains.

He will be missed but his music will last forever!

[George Necola]

Rest in peace man.. I love your C-jam blues thumbsupthumbsup

[dan p]

I can see why Oscar lived in Canada!You Canadians are more evovled than most Americans.Nice to see all of the Canadian posts here honoring a true great.Too bad more americans aren't aware of the great musicians of our time!

[Jim vanBergen]

Oscar was simply amazing. I was lucky enough to meet and mix him for a broadcast early in my career when he still had the use of his left hand, and he ruined me for other jazz trios- nobody ever had his 'swing', and his music will forever be stunning, like Benny, Bird, and Monk. Even after his stroke in the '90s, he was stunning with only his right hand.

If you never got to meet him, I will tell you this: As a man, he was as polite, warm, gracious and personable as he was a fabulous musician. When I worked with him, I noticed he always stayed to greet the entire line of people who were standing outside the stage door or security entrance. I gave away a credential he autographed to a huge fan of his, - some Belgian jazz fanatic who travelled to hear OP live, and arrived late (plane trouble I recall?) a full day late to Montreaux, missing OP's show. I always assumed I'd get another one. OP's smile was infectious, as was his vibe, and his jazz with always be legendary.

Oscar, we will miss you, brother. You made the world a better place.

JvB

[abit]

Some how, I just don't belive in death in this case..
Probably.. because people of this level are timeless.

[henryrobinett]

Oscars was one of the first jazz music I hard. My mom had "The Sound of the Trio" and I heard that sometimes every day. We listened to that for years. I bought it a few years ago and still listen to it often. His versions of Green Dolphin Street and Ill Wind from that recording are still the standard versions to me.

He swung harder than any human, just about. Incomparable technique. He brought real joy to listen to. My face would always breakout in a smile and simultaneous awe when ever I listened to him. Can't say that about too many people.

I guess he's swinging up the rafters now.