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Supporting World Vision: A Message from Céline Peterson | News

OscarPeterson — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 21:25:00 GMT

As the holiday season approaches, we are reminded of what is important in life. For me, it is the important people around me who support me and allow me to grow into the person I want to become. What we can forget is that there are millions around the world who are not given anywhere close to the same opportunities we are. Today, we have the power to change that.

My Dad always took helping those in need very seriously. He got especially passionate when it came to helping little children who couldn't fend for themselves. This year, as a family, and with OscarPeterson.com and Oscar Peterson Music on Facebook, we have partnered with World Vision Canada to give back and we need your help.

Building Bright Futures in Malawi is a new program that benefits younger children in Mposa, Malawi; specifically their educational needs. With your donation, we can quickly work towards the goal of building an early childhood development centre. The addition of this facility to the community will benefit those preschoolers who otherwise would have nowhere to begin learning the skills needed to grow up and go forward in life. There are children all over the world who do not have the education opportunities that they need. This is how we can be a part of changing that.

Please visit the Building Bright Futures in Malawi page to donate to this project. As a World Vision volunteer and sponsor I can tell you that every donation will make a difference. Thank you for your support.

-- Céline Peterson

The Oscar Peterson Folio | News

OscarPeterson — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 01:39:00 GMT

It is a pleasure to share news of renowned Canadian photographer Al Gilbert's decision to produce a Limited Edition Folio of eight of his revealing portraits of Oscar Peterson. Mr. Peterson met Mr. Gilbert in 1950 and the photo of that first meeting is included in this Folio. During the next forty-seven years Mr. Gilbert captured Oscar Peterson on film many times, and seven more of those portraits are included in this set.

There was a reception in June, 2011 to introduce the Folio. Pictures from that occasion can be found here.

Kelly Peterson includes the following statement with each Folio:

    It gives me great pleasure to present this Folio of Al Gilbert's portraits of my late husband, Dr. Oscar E. Peterson, C.C. During the course of nearly fifty years Mr. Gilbert took some wonderful photographs, capturing Oscar at various stages in his life and career. When Mr. Gilbert showed me the photos he intended to print for this special Folio I was immediately deeply moved. How wonderful it is to see the portraits and remember -- Oscar's smile, his graceful hands, his absolute ease at the piano and the joy he radiated always.
       This special, limited edition set of eight of those portraits is a treasure in many ways. It is a testament to the memory of Oscar Peterson and his legacy. It is a testament to the legacy of one of Canada's finest photographic artists, Mr. Al Gilbert. It is also a testament to historical film processing, as these archival prints will long outlast us, preserving these legacies for future generations. I am so pleased that Mr. Gilbert chose to produce this fine Folio. It is my hope that collectors and admirers of both artists will cherish this collection, as I will.

This Folio is created in a limited edition of 33. For more information regarding the Folio, and for purchasing information, please visit Mr. Gilbert's website: www.gilbertandassociates.ca

ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame | News

OscarPeterson — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:51:00 GMT

We are proud to announce another honor for Oscar Peterson. On Monday, June 13, 2011 he will be inducted into the ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame at a special ceremony at ASCAP in New York City. What a wonderful honor, and we look forward to sharing the celebration and the news.
You can read the press release from ASCAP here.

Aspects Of Oscar | Musical Moments

OscarPeterson — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 19:19:00 GMT

Toronto, April 2, 2011

Thoughts from Céline Peterson

Almost one year ago I attended the announcement for the Royal Conservatory of Music's 2010-2011 concert series. I knew that Mervon Mehta had been working with my Mom to put together some tribute concerts for my Dad, but I did not know who would be coming. I was late, so I ended up sitting on one of the platforms where they had the lights and recording equipment set up. I listened to them announce very interesting concerts and events such as Savion Glover, Yo-Yo Ma, Daniel J. Levitin and more. Then Mervon started to speak about the series that would be called "Aspects of Oscar." Over the next ten or so minutes, he would mention the names of people like Dave Young, Ulf Wakenius, Benny Green, Roy Hargrove and Monty Alexander. I could not believe what I was hearing. McCoy Tyner, Christian McBride, Roberta Gambarini, Robi Botos, Reg Schwager, Hassan Shakur and Kevin Turcotte. All people that I was very familiar with and some who I call my friends. I walked out of the building that day knowing that something spectacular was about to happen.

The first concert took place in October 2010. Dave Young would bring us "Aspects of Oscar: Oscar's Songbooks." Dave would bring together Robi Botos, Kevin Turcotte, Reg Schwager and Terry Clarke, as well as a guest appearance by Carol Welsman. I have seen Dave perform many times and with various people in his group. Also of course, when he performed with Dad. This particular night was special. Watching Dave play songs that either Dad wrote or performed often, but with Dave's touch on them, was magical. As a musician, being able to pay tribute to someone by playing songs that they wrote or were known for is quite the task. The specific need to play what the original artist intended, while still putting your own touch on it, is almost impossible. Dave Young accomplished this that evening. My favorite that evening was When Summer Comes. I had heard Kevin Turcotte a few times before, and knew he was a fantastic player. However that song had never been played with a trumpet playing the melody before. Kevin made me look at the song in an entirely new light. I had heard it sung before when Diana Krall sang it at Dad's 80th birthday after Elvis Costello wrote those beautiful lyrics. I had tears in my eyes immediately when Kevin got started. By the time the song was over, I was so overcome with happiness, and a sense of comfort. I was comforted seeing these men on stage pouring all the passion, effort and love that they have into this music. When they perform, the sparkle in their eyes and the wide smiles are unmistakable. That is the way music should be played.

Another moving and special moment for me during this series was when Monty Alexander came out after his first encore. He came out by himself, sat down at the piano, and began playing Hymn To Freedom and No Woman, No Cry as a medley. Chills instantly ran down my spine and I could feel my eyes welling up with tears. It was then that I realized, even though these were not sad tears, it was not a time to cry. This was a purely joyful experience, and what he was playing deserved a smile and a warm heart. Collecting myself and moving so slowly I was barely breathing, I sat there and listened as he closed the show in a way no one who was there will ever forget. It was the most perfect way to end an evening.

Tonight was the final "Aspects of Oscar" show. Roy Hargrove was headlining. With him, he brought Ralph Moore, Willie Jones III, Christian McBride, George Cables and vocalist Roberta Gambarini. Roy and Ralph had done an album with Dad in 1996 entitled Oscar Peterson Meets Roy Hargrove and Ralph Moore. Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Lewis Nash were also on the album. Roy Hargrove is (in my opinion) one of the most beautiful horn players not only today, but that we have ever seen. He has accomplished so much in his life musically, and he is still quite young. I did not know what he would play, but I did know that this was a spectacular way to end the series. The day came, and the show was sold out. Not one seat was available for sale and what's more, every single person who had a ticket showed up. There was not one available seat in Koerner Hall. One of my friends was approached twice and asked if she would sell her ticket! People wanted to see this show. Of course, Roy and everyone on stage with him delivered a beautiful and unforgettable performance. However, there was a bonus at the end. The surprise was that John Q. Walker and Zenph Sound Innovations had prepared a special performance previewing their recordings on the Yamaha Disklavier Pro piano. There is no way to put this other than to say exactly what happened after Roy walked off stage. The piano was brought center-stage, the spotlight directed right on the keys, and Oscar Peterson played his signature Duke Ellington Medley. If you are unfamiliar with what it is that Zenph has accomplished, please visit their website. They have created a re-performance of Oscar's recordings, and the piano plays the music, live in the hall. To say I was shocked is in no way enough to describe the countless feelings that I was having. Dad was in the building. The energy was undeniable, and if you closed your eyes, it was as if he was sitting on stage himself. I don't believe there is one person in there who did not appreciate the value of what they just witnessed. It was truly unforgettable.

I took something away from each concert in the series. I felt like I learned something different on each night. I met a lot of wonderful new people. Not just musicians, but people who came to enjoy the series because they loved Dad and this music. It is true that everybody is different. However, when something as emotional and personal as a show like this is the subject, everyone in the building becomes somewhat the same. You're all music lovers enjoying the same experience even though what you may be thinking or feeling is different than the person sitting next to you. Over these last few months at these concerts, people came together to laugh, cry, listen and cheer. A bond was built, and history was made. What Mervon Mehta accomplished is dazzling and to me, legendary. It will not be matched, and it will never be forgotten. I was reunited with friends who I consider family, and each night I was able to experience the magic with people that I love.

All I have to say is "Thank you," and I will be changed for the better.

"For the past little while, I've shared my life with you. And for some, the name Oscar Peterson will always just mean music. But I would like to leave you with this thought: when you hear the name Oscar Peterson, certainly think music. But think of my music as a universal language. A language we have learned to appreciate regardless of its origin. I have never found it difficult to accept human beings on those same terms, so perhaps my music can do that for you. An appreciation - no, a celebration of who we are. Not as a color, not as a gender, not even as a culture. As beings who, to me, are simple melodies in search of harmony. When they work together, well, that's music to my ears." -- Oscar Peterson, 1991

"Aspects of Oscar" series coming to a close. | News

OscarPeterson — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:06:00 GMT

The final concert in the "Aspects of Oscar" series at The Royal Conservatory of Music's Koerner Hall will be Saturday evening, April 2. The "aspect" for this concert will be "Oscar's Blues," and the concert is headlined by the young trumpet and flugelhorn lion, Roy Hargrove. There will also be a very special surprise at the end of the concert.
For more information, visit the Royal Conservatory of Music's website. And for a sneak preview of the surprise performance at the end, take a look here.

Canada Blooms 2011 | Photo

OscarPeterson — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 01:57:00 GMT

Oscar's daughter-in-law, Lindsay Peterson, and his grandson (her son), Keenan.

Canada Blooms 2011 | Photo

OscarPeterson — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:32:00 GMT

The Oscar Peterson Tribute Garden

Canada Blooms 2011 | Photo

OscarPeterson — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:29:00 GMT

The Oscar Peterson Tribute Garden

Canada Blooms 2011 | Photo

OscarPeterson — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:28:00 GMT

The Oscar Peterson Tribute Garden

Benny Green and Ulf Wakenius | At Home

OscarPeterson — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:30:00 GMT

My entire life, I have been fortunate enough to befriend a number of special people. Thanks to Mervon Mehta and the Royal Conservatory, two of those very special people will be playing together at the “Aspects of Oscar” concert series on January 29th. They have not performed together before, but will come together to pay tribute to someone who touched their lives in unique ways.

I have known both Benny Green and Ulf Wakenius for almost my entire life. The memories that I have because of being able to spend so much time with them, are some of the best of my life. Some people would say that is not a fair statement considering that I am only 19 years old, but you have to understand that the memories I have as a child are what gave me the building blocks to my entire life. These people taught me to be the girl that I am today. In any family, the parents are not usually the only people in the child’s life. Aside from other immediate family members, it is the friends around you that give you support, love, and always have your back. These are the people that you invite in your life and vice versa.

Over the 14 years that I have known Ulf, we have all been a family. We have seen each other’s highs and lows, and made each other laugh on a daily basis. When you are on the road with someone for weeks at a time, it is inevitable that you will grow close to each other. However, it was not set in stone that the people we travelled with had to tolerate a young child. As a baby, the people my Dad travelled with had to have me around and deal with me scream, cry, drool and be fidgety and restless. Of course I smiled, laughed, and was a very happy baby most of the time (or so I hear), which I would hope would be easier to deal with.
As I got older, I started talking and wanting attention. Whether I wanted to have a conversation about only things I could understand, or wanted someone to play dolls with, the guys on the road always showed me love and humoured my requests. Ulf in particular. The countless good times that we had never fail to make me smile. Whether we are taking over the car of a train, or a section of an airplane, there was always joy on the road. My Uncle Niels (NHØP) and Ulf had known each other and worked together for years before Ulf was brought into the group. When Dad said he was going to get a new guitar player, Uncle Niels told Dad about Ulf and because of the tight bond that they had, Dad didn’t even think twice, and Ulf was brought in at the beginning of the European tour. What could have been an uncomfortable and awkward time for everyone, was very easy and we all immediately got along as if we had been friends for years.

There are not enough kind words in the dictionary to describe Benny Green. Benny is brilliant. Of course he is a brilliant piano player, but when I say he is brilliant, I am talking about him as a person. When I was little, I didn’t understand the extent of my situation. I didn’t understand why all these other people seemed to love my Dad. I didn’t understand the talent that he, and the people around him possessed. So when I met Benny, he wasn’t Benny Green, a fantastic young piano player from New York. He was Benny, my friend with one of the best personalities that I have ever seen. He always has love in his eyes, and one of the biggest hearts. He used to come visit and spend time at the house with us, and those are some of the best times for me. I remember when I was younger, I got a kitten for Christmas. At the time, I did not realize how scared I would be of the poor little thing. It liked to hide behind furniture, and pounce, and it also liked to scratch. Neither of things I took too kindly to. So I was constantly scared. Benny came to spend this Christmas with us and one night when we were all sitting on the couch visiting, I was talking about how much I wanted to hold the kitten, but I was scared. I had a quilt that my Mom made me, that I carried around all the time. Benny got Cuddles (yes, I named my kitten Cuddles) to come sit on his lap, reached for the quilt, and wrapped it around him. Then, with the quilt around Cuddles, Benny put him in my lap, and we sat happily together for one of the first times since I’d had him.

Benny has a very gentle and calm temperament, which is something that you may not know when you see him give his all on stage. His energy is vibrant, and so full. He believes what he is playing and he loves what he does. Ulf has the same attitude towards his playing. He gives his all to a performance, and you can tell he belongs on stage. The fact that the two of them are coming together, especially for this performance, is unbelievable. It is going to truly be a night to remember, and I am honoured to be able to witness this evening.

-Céline Peterson
January, 2011

P.S. Take a look at the photo album for some special pictures of Benny and Ulf.

Ulf Wakenius | Photo

OscarPeterson — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:23:00 GMT

Ulf and me in Perugia, Italy

Ulf Wakenius | Photo

OscarPeterson — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:23:00 GMT

One of the train trips on tour

Christmas Visit with Benny Green | Photo

OscarPeterson — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:22:00 GMT

Cuddles in my quilt

Christmas Visit with Benny Green | Photo

OscarPeterson — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:22:00 GMT

Dad and Benny

Ulf Wakenius | Photo

OscarPeterson — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:22:00 GMT

Ulf and me last summer

Ulf Wakenius | Photo

OscarPeterson — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:22:00 GMT

Dad and Ulf in Perugia, Italy

Christmas Visit with Benny Green | Photo

OscarPeterson — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:21:00 GMT

I'm holding Cuddles!

More "Aspects of Oscar"! | News

OscarPeterson — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:13:00 GMT

This wonderful concert series continues at the Royal Conservatory of Music's Koerner Hall on Saturday, January 29, 2011. The "aspect of Oscar" for this concert is "The Trios." Benny Green's trio will perform, and will be joined by guitarist Ulf Wakenius. Don't miss it!

Christmas Visit with Benny Green | Photo

OscarPeterson — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:11:00 GMT

Benny Green and Lisa Garcia with Dad and me

The Christmas Spirit | Photo

OscarPeterson — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:25:00 GMT

Christmas Tree

The Christmas Spirit | Photo

OscarPeterson — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:25:00 GMT

Santa Oscar and Céline in 2005

Céline's First Christmas | Photo

OscarPeterson — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:24:00 GMT

Proud Papa and baby girl

Oscar's Christmas Stocking | Photo

OscarPeterson — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:24:00 GMT

The biggest one, of course!

Céline's First Christmas | Photo

OscarPeterson — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:24:00 GMT

Opening presents from Daddy

An Oscar Peterson Christmas | At Home

OscarPeterson — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:12:00 GMT

    Christmas was Oscar's favorite time of year. He looked forward to the holiday and its traditions each and every year with all the excitement and awe of a child.

    It would start at the beginning of Advent. The sparkle in Oscar's eyes gleamed brighter. There was an 'I've got a secret' smile only half-hidden on his face. The Christmas tree would be put in place and the decorating started. Oscar carefully wrapped the tree in lights, filling all the branches, beginning at the bottom and working up. "The secret to a beautiful Christmas tree," he said, "is to have enough lights." Next came the balls of different colors and sizes. Each one placed carefully, artistically. "There's a red one there, now it needs a gold. Let's put a blue one over there." Nat King Cole's Christmas album played as we sipped eggnog. The lights sparkled and the balls gleamed with that light. Soon it was time for the tinsel. Garlands of many colors - blue, purple, green, gold, silver, red - draped carefully, loops not too long but long enough, to give the finishing touch. White fiberfill was piled all around the tree, out into the living room, creating a bed of snow. More tinsel garlands were draped along the fireplace mantel. When Céline was five she wrapped the colorful garlands around the railings on the staircase, a tradition she created and continued annually.

    "Hey Kel, please bring me some wrapping paper, tape and ribbon," I'd hear as Oscar bustled into the house, parcels rustling. "Yeah, Kel," piped little Céline's voice, "but don't peek!"

    We discovered the One of a Kind Show in Toronto the year Céline was born. It became our 'one stop Christmas shop.' Oscar's scooter was loaded into a van so that he wouldn't have to walk the long distances and we spent the entire day walking (and riding) up and down the aisles, gazing with admiration at the creations of the many artists, figuring out which particular pieces would make special gifts for each of our family and friends. There were a few artists whose booths we were guaranteed to visit each year: Toan Klein, who with his wife became dear friends; the porcelain "Carol B" dolls selected for Céline; wonderful and unusual ceramics, and the dried-flower wreaths created by Danuta McAdam are only some of the unique items we searched for. It was hard sometimes to keep up as Oscar joyfully toured the aisles of the show, gathering decorative pieces for home as well as gifts to give that year.

    The scooter looked like Santa's sleigh by the time early evening arrived and we made our way home. The final purchase was the first to greet Céline as we came through the door: a giant stuffed animal puppet! The door opened and the puppet peeked in saying, "Hi Céline! Daddy missed you!" in whatever type of voice was appropriate for the animal, bear or dog or mouse. Squeals of delight and giant hugs were Oscar's reward.

    On the last Sunday of Advent we went to the early evening candlelight service of Christmas Carols and Lessons at church. We always took the long way home --- the Singers Unlimited Christmas album played through the car stereo as we meandered slowly, admiring the Christmas lights before going home to hot cocoa and Panettone with peanut butter.

    The smells of Christmas cooking and baking filled the house during the next few days. The red beans, the turkey stuffing, the mincemeat pie and hard sauce and the Christmas cookies -- all to the familiar and comforting soundtrack of the Singers Unlimited and Nat King Cole Christmas albums, with Oscar singing along. Then the Christmas Eve candlelight service......

    And on Christmas morning, who was the first of our trio to waken? The young girl bursting with excitement about Santa? The wife and mother ready to put the turkey in the oven? Guess again - it was Oscar, filled with childlike joy and anticipation. "Merry Christmas! Who's ready for Christmas?" came the jovial exclamation.

    With eggnog and coffee and cocoa, we gathered to see what Santa put in our stockings. (Hint: there was always a jar of peanut butter for Oscar, and one for the dogs too!). The turkey, seasoned and draped in bacon, went into the oven and the fresh cinnamon buns came out. Then leisurely we opened gifts and made phone calls to other family members and friends. The aroma of the turkey and bacon filled the house. The bacon's purpose was to season the turkey and keep it moist, but it was also a periodic treat when it was cooked enough and needed to be replaced. As the Christmas dinner cooked, we shared the quiet time, enjoying a fire and each other.

    Céline's porcelain doll and giant puppet each had a place at the table with us. We always gave thanks for the birth of Jesus and for the many blessings we had. For Oscar, the celebration of Christmas was not complete until he had his mincemeat pie for dessert.

    But actually, the biggest tradition of all was the quiet joy of cherished family moments together, peacefully. Those memories stay with us always.

                                                      ***************

A Tribute from a Friend | Tributes

OscarPeterson — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 09:47:00 GMT

From The Heart - for Oscar Peterson

He always said, " It doesn't mean a thing if it's not from the heart." So I'll speak from the heart. But what do you do when your heart is shattered ? You just slowly pick up the pieces with memories and try to put them back together.

The first time I met Oscar, I was asked to come to his house to help him with a new Ensoniq keyboard. I was working as a product specialist for Ensoniq, and although we didn't usually make 'house calls', I literally jumped at the invitation. Oscar Peterson. I was to meet the MAN.

You see, I grew up in a household in Ottawa where the name Oscar Peterson was revered.   My Dad, who was not in any way musically inclined, had seen Oscar perform a number of times – at the Alberta Lounge in Montreal, the Gatineau Club in Hull and at clubs in the Laurentians. And, although my Dad knew nothing of music, he had an uncanny ability to recognize talent and lived for greatness and celebrated the best. This was mostly in sport, which was his passion. Maurice Richard, Gordie Howe, Jackie Robinson. He would get emotional when relating their feats of glory and their spirit, their 'heart'. He had others – Churchill, Einstein, Ghandi, Kennedy. In music, it was Oscar.

He often spoke of the time he went to see Oscar at the Gatineau supper club, and as Oscar played, the room noise and chatter did not subside, but increased. Oscar stood up and announced to the audience that, in effect, he was an artist and could not perform under these conditions and would come back to the stage when people were ready to listen. My dad was impressed. Here was Oscar barely 21 years old, but an imposing figure, so confident in his abilities that he had the courage to make such an announcement. He came back, explained my Dad with obvious pride and respect, AND they listened. And what they got was stunning – it floored them all.

It wasn't just that Oscar was a Canadian or that he had come from a modest home (as had my Dad), but that he represented excellence and triumph over circumstance and had the God-given talent. To witness someone with these gifts, I think was what really sustained my Dad's faith in God. Oscar was 'touched by God', my Dad would say. "A Natural. The best always make it look easy and effortless. You can't teach someone that. They're born with it." Oscar was a spiritual revelation, as was Maurice Richard. According to my Dad, we were blessed to have these people in our midst, to be inspired by their talent, to have our lives enriched, and to be prodded to be better in whatever we chose to do. They led by example, showing us the light.

In my early teens, I began to seriously get involved in music. I started hanging out with a group of musicians and we listened to everything. We were big Beatles fans, but would also play jazz and blues records and classical albums. One afternoon I remember a friend put on 'The Canadiana Suite' by Oscar, which had just been released. We were mesmerized. I was shaken. I said,"That can't be done on the piano." I was desolate. What was the point to practicing. It seemed that I could spend a lifetime and never be able to play like that. I didn't touch the piano for weeks, and until recently, have never learned a Peterson tune. It was just too unattainable. But slowly it occurred to me that he had done it. He was one of us. One of ours. From just down the road in Montreal, and was now an international star. It just may be possible.

I joined a soul band, then a rock band and eventually became a professional musician. Even among all those players, Oscar was a legend. If you played a fast lick, or a complex chord, it was "an Oscar move." He towered and loomed over all of us Canadian players. If you were on a gig with older players you sensed the awe and respect they had for Peterson and all the players of the Jazz at the Philharmonic shows. I read about Oscar and found out that he credited his technique on the piano to his classical training. I started classical piano lessons again and eventually ended up going to the University of Western Ontario to study classical composition.

My horizons expanded as I was introduced to the world of virtuoso pianists and the music of Stravinsky, Bartok, Ravel, Gershwin. I also played in some jazz groups while in London, and was listening to McCoy Tyner, Hancock, Corea, Zawinul, Silver, Garland, Evans. I thought I may have 'out grown' Oscar as I felt I had Dave Brubeck. I went to a concert at Alumni Hall, where Oscar was going to perform solo for the first time. I had the same reaction as ten years earlier. "This can't be done on the piano." But now I had ten years of painstaking practice to back up that statement. And I could hear the absolute perfection in his time. Not a slip. That driving swing that thundered around the hall was coming from one man. Unbelievable. The power of his playing, the joy that he exuded, the total command of the instrument. It was the history of jazz piano unfolding in front of you. Harlem stride, Teddy Wilson walking tenths, Nat Cole clean swinging lines, the blues, the ballads, even some Albert Ammons boogie. it was ALL there. Like Bach, I believe Oscar was the culmination of an era. He took the swing era and blues-inflected, standard song-based piano as far as the form could go. Where could you go after that? There had to be a Monk, a Corea, a Tyner, an Evans, to take it on another path. This one was done. Perfected.

I won't go on. I mention this background to give you some appreciation for what i felt as I approached the Peterson house in Mississauga that afternoon in 1990.   I had prepared a speech. I would call him "Sir' or "Mr, Peterson." I would try in those first moments to let him know all that he meant to me through my whole life. That is all I wanted out of the meeting.

Well it didn't happen. I entered the house and could hear his voice in the living room, I heard this big laugh. As I entered the room, he suddenly stood up and offered me his big hand .... those hands, and said with such disarming warmth and joviality, "Hi Lance, great to meet you. Jack has told me much about you and I really appreciate you coming over to give me a hand." I blurted out, "Hi Oscar!" Arrrrg ..... I panicked. How did that speech go again, I was thinking. I was trying to think. I froze. Oscar was so used to people freezing in his presence, that he immediately launched into things about me, talking about how I was a player too. It quickly seemed ridiculous to recite the prepared speech or any preamble. We just talked. He had lunch prepared for us, and within minutes I was sitting in his dining room eating lunch and talking about fishing. We spent an hour with no mention of music or synthesizers. It was so remarkably easy. It was like talking with one of the guys on a gig. It hit me later that, in fact, that is exactly what it was. Oscar considered himself, in part, just another musician doing gigs. His were a lot better than mine, and he played to thousands more people, and all over the world and was adored by millions, but in the end, they were just gigs. To Oscar, it was just a matter of degree. He was always interested in what I was doing and loved to hear exploits of my crazier situations. He said it reminded him of when Bill Basie used to tell him about the old days in Kansas City. "How'd you get into that fix." He'd laugh as I would relate another gig from hell. He loved to laugh. And I grew to become relaxed around him and loved his company.

Musicians have a certain sense of humour and a kinship that I guess evolves out of having to face an audience while you 'work'. (Although we all call it play.)   Oscar shared these same qualities. In addition, all instrumentalists share another passion. The love of their lives ...... their instrument.   Their chosen vocation. So this bonds you in another more exclusive brotherhood, as you have both struggled to master the same instrument.

So we hit it off. Over lunch he decided that he had another true lover of the piano on hand and announced that before we got to the synth, he had something to share with me downstairs. His baby. The famous Bosendorfer Imperial Grand. I was ecstatic. This was Oscar's legendary piano that he hand picked from the Bosendorfer factory in Austria. He and his bass player, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, a fair pianist himself, spent an afternoon playing over 50 pianos at the factory and both kept coming back to this one. He had to have the back wall of his house opened to get it in the basement! It has 97 keys, going down nine notes lower than other concert grands. (They have reverse colour keys.) At 9' 6", it took up the whole back wall of his basement 'studio,' which looked like an elegant rec room.

Oscar sat down and started caressing the instrument. It is beyond words to describe the sound that flowed from that instrument. It was the most beautiful sound that I have ever heard, before or since. So much so, that as he continued to play those wonderfully rich chord voicings, it was a revelation. I could for the first time, hear all the notes of the chords separately and hear with such clarity the inner voice movement, the resolutions of all chords, the articulation .... the touch .... the feel ..... the soul. It all made sense, like never before. It was truly overwhelming. The room was not big enough for this music, for this artist.   It was genius, unadorned and intimate. Suddenly like a geyser coming from deep in my gut ... i wanted to scream! Not a yahoo or whoopee but a primal soul quenching, gut bucket, throat clearing scream, of agony or ecstacy – I didn't know which. It was so beautiful, it was painful.   The experience with Oscar on that piano in his basement was just too much. It was transcendental.

Then he stopped. Had I screamed? No, he was getting up. "Here give it a try." he said. Well on the way downstairs I had prepared myself for this. I knew that I would have to play the piano in front of Oscar. That idea has sent shivers through any pianist who hears that Oscar "is in the house." I even knew of one pianist who quit his steady gig because he heard that, come summer, Oscar frequented the restaurant! I was prepared, and in the same warm and inclusive way that he had wiped my speech from existence, he wiped away any sense that I wouldn't play. To protest would have just seemed foolish. I was ready to sit down and play .... for the MAN. What I wasn't ready for, was what happened next. Oscar bent over the open piano and put his head in the piano! His ear was inches away from the strings. That big famous face was a foot or two in front of me. Then he closed his eyes and said, "Play me something, i just love the sound of this piano."

Yikes .... riiiiight!   Well I can't remember what I played – or much more of that first visit, other than Oscar seeing me to the door with the warmest of send-offs and saying to come back anytime. I walked out of there in a daze. What the hell just happened? Had we spent any time on his synth? I can't remember. Not much, if we did. I thought, "good, I'll have an excuse to come back." To show you what kind of an emotional state I was in, I drove to the nearest gas station, filled my tank and then drove off without paying, I was so distracted. After a couple of blocks, I realized what I had done and went back. On my way to Toronto, I was so spaced out, that even though I was on my way to a session, I kept getting drawn off at the wrong exits, by absentmindedly (for my mind was truly absent) getting caught in the exit lanes. I did this THREE times, and was late for the session. I was in some kind of altered state.

I did come back to Oscar's place and we became friends. I eventually presented to Oscar the idea of doing an instructional piano video. To my surprise, nobody had ever suggested this to him. After his stroke, the idea morphed into the CD ROM project that I co-produced with John Gittins, PG Music and, of course, Oscar. We worked for the better part of five years on the project and I had many wonderful visits with Oscar and his family.

Other pieces are coming back together now.
... Our listening party when my wife Kathy and I stayed over and Oscar and I went down to his record collection and played each other our favourite music into the wee hours. Oscar still kept what he called 'club hours' and was regularly up till four in the morning. Needless to say, you didn't call him too early in the morning.

...The time after listening to over 100 recordings while working on the CD ROM, where I was able to ask Oscar about his recording "My Favourite Instrument." I said, "you've got to know that this recording is as good as it can be done, you've got to have a sense of that." And without any sense of self-deprecation, he could only bring himself to admit that, " I was starting to get the hang of things."

Once i joked with Oscar that I knew him better at half speed than full. He didn't get it.   I said, "Haven't you ever slowed down a tape recorder to learn a solo?" "No," he said, "anything I hear I can play."   What about something that is very fast like a Charlie Parker solo? "No," he paused and then replied, "anything I hear I can play." I didn't think he was catching my drift. I soldiered on. "Well, what about a Cecil Taylor, dense 8 note chordal passage?" He considered this for awhile and then with the clear childlike eyes of genius said, "No, anything I hear I can play." Clearly, it was me who wasn't catching the drift. I have seen that in practice.. An unbelievable direct connection between the ears and the hands.

Now I got it. This too is genius. This from the man who learned the Basie and Ellington book by sneaking downstairs as a teenager and listening to live broadcasts with his ear to the radio, so as not to be discovered by his father. Then, because he couldn't risk waking up the household by playing the piano, had to remember what he heard until the next morning when he could play it.

He could sing entire solos from many famous jazz recordings from memory. Once when at a club that was playing a jazz video behind him (that he could not see), he suddenly said, "Man, Hank Jones must have slept with that record because he's playing Teddy's solo precisely." He then proceeded to sing along with the solo, and it was indeed Hank Jones during a tribute concert. He could tell who it was and knew from memory what he was playing!

He had played with such diverse artists as Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald. When asked, " How did you adjust your style to all the different people that you accompanied and played with – like those duet recordings with Basie, you can barely tell you apart." He could only reply: " When someone is whispering at you, you don't shout back." Genius is simple. The rest of us have to deal with complications.

"You have no business playing jazz if you can't play blues". O. Peterson

The night that Ella Fitzgerald died, Oscar was devastated.   All he could say was "She's Gone .... she's gone." He didn't mind showing his feelings.   In fact, I believe that was a big part of his genius, and why he reached audiences around the world. He could express his feelings.   Anyone who met him realized this. Whether it was his warmth, his love, his affection or at times of injustice, his outrage.   You knew about it. It could catch you totally unaware. His ability to speak from his heart was unique and even unnerving to some people. He could also channel his emotions through the piano.

At a concert in Stratford, Oscar planned to play a piece that he had written for Ella, a ballad which he eventually called "She's Gone." He did not let on to the audience that the song was about Ella. It was an instrumental piece, and it was beautiful. I was there with my sister and the performance was so powerful that halfway through the piece I had tears running down my face. I put it off to the fact that I knew who the song was about and how much she meant to Oscar. When I turned to my sister, tears were streaming down her face and when I looked around at the audience, most of them were in the same state – from a man on stage communicating through a musical instrument. That's what genius is about.

I could fill a book with stories from my time with Oscar. Like the time, as part of his practical joking nature and his generous spirit, he called me up from Barbados and said to drop everything and come down for a visit. I think he wanted to see the look on my face as we walked into this beautiful resort. He was sitting by the pool, with anticipatory glee to see our reactions. We sat around every afternoon, sipping Mai Tais as he told me stories from his days on tour with his heroes, the jazz greats. His wife Kelly is a wonderful host and we had a great time with Celine. In the early afternoon he worked on the 'Trail of Dreams Suite'.

Although we had been friends for over 16 years, I never called Oscar "OP," as many of his good friends did. He had a thing for nicknames. I think he got it from Lester Young, whom he roomed with on his first JATP tour. Lester gave Billie Holiday the nickname 'Lady Day' and 'Bean' to Coleman Hawkins and had his own names for not only all the people he knew, but even objects. 'Prez' called Oscar 'Lady Pete'. I believe out of respect, I always called him Oscar.   There came to be two Oscars.   One, this gentle man that I visited in Mississauga, who I would exchange silly gadget Christmas presents with, and another OSCAR PETERSON - the legend. Oscar. The word had become for me a synonym for excellence, as well as an inspiration. He called me Lancewell. Possibly as a nod to my classical background and my intellectual bent, I never asked him why.

I feel sometimes like Salieri in the movie Amadeus. I have just enough talent to recognize and appreciate true genius when I see it. And believe me, after 44 years of playing the piano, I know from what I speak. I suspect that I have worked harder at and certainly practiced more than Oscar ever did. I also know more music theory, history and acoustics than Oscar did. (Though most of my music history is learned from books and his jazz history was learned first hand.   And as far as jazz theory goes, he invented many of the conventions that jazz theorists spend their time trying to explain at universities.) However, my point is that not in ten lifetimes will I ever be able to play one phrase with such exquisite phrasing, swing, touch, emotion and soul as this man. And few ever have, or will. Life is not fair. Some people are 'touched by God'. My Dad was right. He was born with it. A natural. A phenomenon.

Vladimir Horowitz on meeting Oscar said. "If God had created hands to play the piano, these would be them."

My life has been more full for having known Oscar, and having known him, hearing him play is an even richer experience. His playing has touched my heart, as he himself did. But it is the man I am going to miss. His art will live on, in the over 400 recordings that have been issued under his name. I feel for Kelly and Celine Peterson and all his surviving children and family. My sympathies go out to them, and my love.   Kelly and Celine have always been so good to me. We are all left with an emptiness that will never be filled.    But what a joy to have known this man and spent time with him. What a gift to the world, to mankind. What a mystical experience and incredibly important time it was for me. And how welcome and important he always made me feel...Like a comrade. What more can you ask from a friend?

Someone asked me what I learned, as an artist from knowing Oscar. I think it is this: We are all part of the same tradition, adding our piece to the ever-evolving music stream. Some add more and some add less. But the important thing is, to try and contribute to the evolution, to the legacy. Every little bit moves the art forward, every artist counts. The geniuses and the sidemen, the stars and the guys in the trenches. If it is from the heart, it will contribute. So always play from the heart. That is what I learned from Oscar.

Oscar, your contribution will live on forever.

Lance Anderson - Jan. 08 (Lancewell)

Aspects of Oscar Concert Series Continues.... | News

OscarPeterson — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 09:41:00 GMT

The "Aspects of Oscar" concert series at Koerner Hall in Toronto continues this week, exploring the solo performance aspect of Oscar's career. The great McCoy Tyner will be performing. He will be joined by Alfredo Rodriguez, the young pianist from Cuba who has Quincy Jones talking...

To learn more about the series, visit the Royal Conservatory of Canada's website.

To learn more about McCoy Tyner, visit his website here.

We hope to see some of you at the concert!

Aspects of Oscar Concert Series at Koerner Hall | News

OscarPeterson — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 06:28:00 GMT

We are looking forward to the Royal Conservatory of Music's concert series celebrating Oscar Peterson, beginning tonight! The series, called "Aspects of Oscar," will be presented at the stunning Koerner Hall. Tonight's concert is headlined by Oscar's bassist, Dave Young and will feature Dave's quintet with Robi Botos (piano), Kevin Turcotte (trumpet), Reg Schwager (guitar) and Terry Clarke (drums). There will also be a special appearance by vocalist Carol Welsman. Tonight's theme is The Songbooks. For more information about the entire series, as well as all the other concerts scheduled for this season, check the Royal Conservatory of Music's website here

MORE ABOUT THE OSCAR PETERSON SCULPTURE | News

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 10:11:00 GMT

The unveiling ceremony was a most memorable occasion. So many people gathered at “Oscar's Corner” for the event, and to share in the excitement as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II pulled the golden cord to reveal the sculpture to everyone.

Rain had threatened, but the sun shone brightly. The Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir sang, among other songs, Oscar Peterson's “Hymn To Freedom,” accompanied by Oliver Jones on piano.

Céline and Kelly Peterson wish to express their deep gratitude to all of the National Committee members, the staff of the National Arts Centre, Master of Ceremony Gregory Charles, the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir conducted by Professor Trevor Payne, Pianist Oliver Jones, Minister James Moore, Rosemary Thompson, Julia Foster and Peter Herrndorf for their tremendous efforts in making this an unforgettable event. Thanks also go to all those who gathered to share this moment.

Special thanks go to Sculptor Ruth Abernethy, for her great gift of capturing Oscar Peterson in bronze. Here are her thoughts about the creation of this sculpture:

My intent in portraiture is to present a set of familiar features within a 'living moment' that rings true for a particular character. I begin by poring over all available reference in order to absorb the physical and emotional intricacies of my subject. With observations to inform my imagination I begin engineering the actual anatomical proportions. This of course, is a mathematical exercise and in every portrait one particular number begins to appear again and again. Imagine my astonishment and delight when, in this particular portrait, the resonant number was 3.14! There could be no better symbol for Oscar's musical inventiveness.

The piano was such a constant touchstone in Oscar's life that it had to be an element in this portrayal. Integral to the composition is the actual realization of the stretched perspectives seen through a camera's fish-eye lens. All components of the piano and bench are enlarged toward the south-side viewer and the resultant keyboard is actually curved, as is the contour of the piano lid. Oscar demanded that we re-imagine the piano repertoire and the bronze keyboard looses its distinctions between individual notes to become a runway, a point of departure; music beyond notes. This instrument suggests 97 keys, just like the Austrian, Bösendorfer Imperial, Oscar's piano of choice. The additional bass octave is finished with all black keys and this was too unique and interesting to ignore. 'Bösendorfer' is subtlety embossed on the fronstpiece.

Oscar adapted himself to a life in the public eye though never developed or presented a stage persona. For this lengthy 'public engagement' at the corner of Albert and Elgin Streets I wanted Oscar to be truly comfortable. I'd imagined him finishing Hymn to Freedom, pushing back his piano bench and taking a moment to welcome his audience and watch the city pass by. His left foot is turned inward just slightly; a hint of self-conscious acceptance of his public life. Oscar's hands are gently clasped with a single left forefinger on top. This is not a docile chorister's clasp nor the intertwined gesture of a business deal. I hoped to hint at Oscar's lifetime commitment to balancing artistic pioneering and personal vulnerability.

Ruth Abernethy
July 4th, 2010

The Queen Standing | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:58:00 GMT

The Queen Standing

The Queen and Choir | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:57:00 GMT

The Queen and Choir

After the Unveiling | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:53:00 GMT

After the Unveiling

With Oscar | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:52:00 GMT

With Oscar

The Queen & Oscar 2 | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:50:00 GMT

The Queen & Oscar 2

The Queen & Oscar | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:49:00 GMT

The Queen & Oscar

Sculptor Ruth Abernethy | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:46:00 GMT

Sculptor Ruth Abernethy

Commemorative Plaque | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:46:00 GMT

Commemorative Plaque

NAC Poster | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:45:00 GMT

NAC Poster

Oscar's Corner | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:45:00 GMT

Oscar's Corner

Protecting the Statue Prior to Unveiling | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:44:00 GMT

Protecting the Statue Prior to Unveiling

OSCAR PETERSON - SCULPTURE UNVEILING By PETER HERRNDORF | Tributes

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:38:00 GMT

OSCAR PETERSON - SCULPTURE UNVEILING

June 30, 2010 Le Café Terrace Ottawa

Brief Remarks
Peter A. Herrndorf
President and CEO
National Arts Centre

Thank you very much, Rosemary…and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

Bonjour, mesdames et messieurs. Je suis très, très fier de vous souhaiter la bienvenue au Centre national des Arts.

Before I say a few words about our friend Oscar Peterson… and about the magnificent Oscar Peterson Sculpture by Ruth Abernethy, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the wonderful Rosemary Thompson. Many of you know her from her days at CTV news, but since she joined the NAC last October, Rosemary`s done an extraordinary job for us. She's worked tirelessly on the Oscar Sculpture Project…and I`m told that she was very, very persuasive in getting her majesty to come here today for the unveiling. Please join me in an enthusiastic round of applause for Rosemary Thompson.

On December 24, 2007…the day after Oscar Peterson passed away, his wife Kelly asked Toronto producer Brian Robertson, former Ontario Premier Bob Rae and I to organize a memorial concert in his honour. We were honoured to be asked… and after two weeks of intense planning, hundreds of people from Canada and around the world joined together to create two hour concert that was broadcast live across Canada on CBC Radio.
Ce grand spectacle hommage à Oscar Peterson avait pour titre Simply the Best.

It was one of the most memorable, most emotionally stirring memorial services honouring a Canadian artist in Canadian history.

The concert took place at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto on January 12, 2008. It drew an overflow crowd of 2,600 - many of whom had lined up at 5 a.m. in below zero weather to get free tickets - for an event that would take place 11 hours later. The outpouring of affection spoke volumes to us about the importance of doing something more...something permanent…that would forever pay tribute to the indelible mark Oscar Peterson left on the world of jazz ... and on the cultural fabric of this country.

In the months after, an Oscar Peterson National Committee was formed - to mount a national fundraising campaign to commission a life-sized bronze sculpture of the jazz legend. And we decided to give the Oscar Peterson sculpture a permanent home where so many Canadian artists and musicians have performed over the past 40 years - at the National Arts Centre…in the nation's capital. The National Committee was made up of Oscar's friends and admirers - many of whom are with us today …and each of them has played a critical role in making this project a reality. I'd like to take a moment to give them all special recognition. They are:

• The Honourable William Davis, the former Premier of Ontario;
• The Honourable Bob Rae, also a former Premier of Ontario and a member of Parliament;
• The Honourable Roy McMurtry, the former chief of Justice of the Ontario Court of Appeal;
• The Honourable Tommy Banks, a distinguished Senator…and an equally distinguished musician;
• Gail Asper, the driving force behind the Canadian museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg;
• Brian Robertson, the former President of the Canadian Recording Industry Association;
• Tim Armstrong, the former Ontario Agent General in Tokyo;
• Harvey Glatt, a pioneering figure in the Canadian music scene;
• Ross Porter, the President of Jazz FM 91 in Toronto;
• Denise Donlon, the managing Director of CBC Radio;
• Valerie Pringle, the former host of Canada AM - and;
• Kelly Peterson, Oscar Peterson`s widow…and a great champion of Canadian Jazz;

I'd also like to acknowledge leadership gifts from Allan Slaight…. from Fred & Anne Ketchen ... from the Hazel McCallion Foundation for Arts, Culture and Heritage…and from the TD Bank Financial Group. Their support put the fundraising campaign over the top, and the National Committee is tremendously grateful for their contribution. Thank you very, very much.

Finally, joining this impressive list of luminaries are literally hundreds of Canadian donors - from British Columbia to Newfoundland ... and international donors from the United States to Bermuda. They contributed donations ranging from ten dollars up to the thousands ... because they too believed that Oscar Peterson deserved this kind of honour. Please join me in an enthusiastic round of applause for all their support! [applause]

Mais par-dessus tout, c'est le talent d'une personne bien spéciale qui nous unit cette après-midi. Cette personne, c'est Ruth Abernethy, l'une des plus grandes artistes du Canada. Commissioning Ruth Abernethy to take on the project was a natural choice from the very beginning. Her best-known work (to date!) is the much-loved portrait Glenn (1999), a life-sized bronze statue of Canadian pianist Glenn Gould seated on a bench, and installed in front of the CBC's Glenn Gould Theatre on Front Street in Toronto.

For those of you who have had the great fortune to meet Ruth Abernethy personally, you'll agree with me when I say how wonderful it is to be in the company of someone so passionate ... and so full of joy. She's an artist of incomparable talent, of course… but she`s also a woman of enormous grace and eloquence. Someone who put great care and consideration in acknowledging Oscar's lasting legacy at every stage of her sculpture's creation. To tell you a little more about that journey, please join me in welcoming the remarkable Ruth Abernethy to the podium to say a few words.

With Rolf Studer of Oris | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:33:00 GMT

With Rolf Studer of Oris

The Oris Red Rotor | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:31:00 GMT

The Oris Red Rotor

Tourneau Time Machine NYC | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:31:00 GMT

Tourneau Time Machine NYC

Sebastian Pfirter photo of Ulrich Herzog & Kelly Peterson | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Sebastian Pfirter photo of Ulrich Herzog & Kelly Peterson

Sebastian Pfirter photo of Mr. Herzog Presenting watch to Kelly Peterson | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:30:00 GMT

Sebastian Pfirter photo of Mr. Herzog Presenting watch to Kelly Peterson

Paul Thurlow, Ulrich Herzog working at the special table | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:29:00 GMT

Paul Thurlow, Ulrich Herzog working at the special table

Presenting the Oscar Peterson Watch | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:29:00 GMT

Presenting the Oscar Peterson Watch

Oscar's Ties in the Oris exhibit | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:28:00 GMT

Oscar's Ties in the Oris exhibit

Oris Exhibit at Tourneau | Photo

TelmaCosta — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:27:00 GMT

Oris Exhibit at Tourneau