Oscar Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer, widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time.
He released over 200 recordings and won eight Grammy Awards during his illustrious career.
Peterson was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, recognizing his significant contributions to music.
Biography
Early Life
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was born on August 15, 1925, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to West Indian immigrants. His father, Daniel, was an amateur musician and a porter for the Canadian Pacific Railway, while his mother, Kathleen, worked as a domestic worker. Growing up in the predominantly black neighborhood of Little Burgundy, Peterson was immersed in jazz culture from a young age. He began playing the trumpet and piano at five, but after a bout of tuberculosis at seven, he focused solely on the piano. His early training included classical studies under his sister Daisy and Hungarian pianist Paul de Marky, leading him to develop a unique style that blended classical and jazz influences.
Career
Peterson's career took off in the late 1940s when he was introduced to the New York jazz scene by Norman Granz, who became his manager. He formed the Oscar Peterson Trio, which gained acclaim for its innovative performances. Over his 60-year career, Peterson released more than 200 recordings and won eight Grammy Awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was known for his virtuosic technique and was affectionately dubbed the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington. His collaborations with other jazz legends, including Louis Armstrong and Ben Webster, further solidified his status in the jazz community.
Personal Life
Throughout his life, Peterson was married four times and had seven children. He was passionate about teaching and founded the Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto during the 1960s. Despite his struggles with weight and smoking, he maintained a love for cooking and remained active in the music scene until his passing on December 23, 2007. Peterson's legacy as one of the greatest jazz pianists endures, celebrated for his contributions to the genre and his influence on future generations of musicians.
Collected from open sources (4) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Discography
Oscar Peterson Plays Porgy & Bess1959
- 1.I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'6:26
- 2.I Wants to Stay Here (a.k.a. I Loves You, Porgy)6:22
- 3.Summertime3:51
- 4.Oh Dey's So Fresh and Fine (Strawberry Woman)0:56
- 5.Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way!2:36
- 6.It Ain't Necessarily So4:02
- 7.There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York7:14
- 8.Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?4:57
- 9.Here Come de Honey Man1:11
- 10.Bess, You Is My Woman Now3:28
Oscar Peterson Plays the Irving Berlin Songbook1959
- 1.I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
- 2.Supper Time
- 3.I’m Putting All My Eggs in One Basket
- 4.Change Partners
- 5.The Song Is Ended
- 6.How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)
- 7.Cheek to Cheek
- 8.I Used to Be Color Blind
- 9.You’re Laughing at Me
- 10.Isn’t It a Lovely Day
- 11.Top Hat, White Tie and Tails
- 12.Remember
Oscar Peterson Plays the Harold Arlen Song Book1959
- 1.As Long as I Live2:26
- 2.Come Rain or Come Shine2:37
- 3.Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive2:02
- 4.Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea2:43
- 5.I've Got the World on a String2:29
- 6.That Old Black Magic3:01
- 7.Let's Fall in Love2:18
- 8.Stormy Weather2:43
- 9.Over the Rainbow2:18
- 10.Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe2:13
- 11.The Man That Got Away2:39
- 12.Ill Wind2:32
Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson1959
- 1.The Touch of Your Lips6:19
- 2.When Your Lover Has Gone3:59
- 3.Bye-Bye, Blackbird6:44
- 4.How Deep Is the Ocean?2:35
- 5.In the Wee, Small Hours of the Morning3:12
- 6.Sunday3:57
- 7.This Can’t Be Love9:50
Oscar Peterson Plays the Jerome Kern Songbook1959
- 1.I Won't Dance2:32
- 2.Bill2:58
- 3.The Song Is You3:04
- 4.A Fine Romance3:09
- 5.Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man2:45
- 6.Ol' Man River2:38
- 7.Long Ago (And Far Away)2:35
- 8.Lovely to Look At2:48
- 9.Pick Yourself Up2:12
- 10.Smoke Gets in Your Eyes2:49
- 11.The Way You Look Tonight3:41
- 12.Yesterdays3:20
Oscar Peterson Plays the Duke Ellington Song Book1959
- 1.Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
- 2.Sophisticated Lady
- 3.Rockin’ in Rhythm
- 4.Prelude to a Kiss
- 5.In a Mellow Tone
- 6.Cottontail
- 7.Just a Sittin’ and a Rockin’
- 8.Things Ain’t What They Used to Be
- 9.Take the “A” Train
- 10.I’ve Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good
- 11.Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me
- 12.John Hardy’s Wife
Oscar Peterson Plays the George Gershwin Songbook1959
- 1.It Ain’t Necessarily So2:49
- 2.The Man I Love3:09
- 3.Love Walked In2:49
- 4.I Was Doing All Right2:51
- 5.A Foggy Day2:55
- 6.Oh, Lady Be Good!3:02
- 7.Love Is Here to Stay2:59
- 8.They All Laughed2:32
- 9.Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off2:20
- 10.Summertime2:58
- 11.Nice Work If You Can Get It2:08
- 12.Shall We Dance2:19
Oscar Peterson Plays the Harry Warren and Vincent Youmans Song Books1959
- 1.Lullaby of Broadway
- 2.Serenade in Blue
- 3.You’ll Never Know
- 4.I Had the Craziest Dream
- 5.I Only Have Eyes for You
- 6.Chattanooga Choo-Choo
- 7.More Than You Know
- 8.Carioca
- 9.Without a Song
- 10.Drums in My Heart
- 11.Time on My Hands
- 12.Great Day
Oscar Peterson Plays the Jimmy McHugh Song Book1959
- 1.You’re a Sweetheart
- 2.Lost in a Fog
- 3.I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love With Me
- 4.On the Sunny Side of the Street
- 5.Diga Diga Doo
- 6.I Feel a Song Comin’ On
- 7.I’m in the Mood for Love
- 8.When My Sugar Walks Down the Street
- 9.Don’t Blame Me
- 10.I Can’t Give You Anything but Love
- 11.Can’t Get Out of This Mood
- 12.I Couldn’t Sleep a Wink Last Night
Oscar Peterson Plays the Cole Porter Songbook1959
- 1.In the Still of the Night2:53
- 2.It's All Right With Me2:55
- 3.Love for Sale3:31
- 4.Just One of Those Things2:25
- 5.I've Got You Under My Skin2:52
- 6.Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye2:22
- 7.Night and Day2:35
- 8.Easy to Love2:38
- 9.Why Can't You Behave3:02
- 10.I Love Paris2:13
- 11.I Concentrate on You3:13
- 12.It's De-Lovely2:29
An Evening With Oscar Peterson1957
Tracklist not collected yet.
Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson1957
- 1.That Old Feeling2:42
- 2.Let's Fall in Love3:14
- 3.I'll Never Be the Same3:29
- 4.Blues in the Night5:10
- 5.How Long Has This Been Going On?5:56
- 6.I Was Doing All Right3:20
- 7.What's New2:40
- 8.Moon Song4:31
- 9.Just One of Those Things4:02
- 10.There's No You2:14
- 11.You Go to My Head6:24
- 12.Sweet Lorraine5:11
Soft Sands1957
- 1.Soft Sands
- 2.On the Outside Looking In
- 3.It Happens Every Spring
- 4.Chanel
- 5.You Took Advantage of Me
- 6.Why, Oh Why
- 7.Song to the Stars
- 8.Echoes
- 9.I’ve Never Left Your Arms
- 10.I Can’t Get Started
- 11.Dream on a Summer Night
- 12.Susquehanna
Oscar Peterson Plays Count Basie1956
Tracklist not collected yet.
In a Romantic Mood1956
Tracklist not collected yet.
Tenderly1956
Tracklist not collected yet.
Oscar Peterson Plays Jimmy McHugh1955
Tracklist not collected yet.
Dale's Wail1954
Tracklist not collected yet.
Oscar Peterson Plays Richard Rodgers1954
Tracklist not collected yet.
Recital by Oscar Peterson1954
Tracklist not collected yet.
Oscar Peterson Plays Duke Ellington1953
Tracklist not collected yet.
Oscar Peterson Plays George Gershwin1953
Tracklist not collected yet.
Oscar Peterson Plays Cole Porter1953
Tracklist not collected yet.
Oscar Peterson Plays Irving Berlin1953
Tracklist not collected yet.
Plays Pretty1952
Tracklist not collected yet.
Gallery
Label
- Record label
- Verve Records
- Record label
- Mercury Records
- Record label
- Pablo
- Record label
- Telarc International Corporation
- Record label
- MPS Records
Achievements
- Award
- Canadian Music Hall of Fame
- Award
- Governor General's Performing Arts Award
- Award
- Glenn Gould Prize
- Award
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- Award
- Praemium Imperiale
- Award
- BBC Jazz Awards
- Award
- Companion of the Order of Canada
- Award
- Order of Ontario
- Award
- Knight of the National Order of Quebec
- Award
- Officer of Arts and Letters
- Award
- Loyola Medal
- Award
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award
- Award
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album
- Award
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance
- Award
- honorary doctorate at the Laval University
- Award
- Canada's Walk of Fame
Groups
- Charlie Parker Big Bandcurrent
- Flip Phillips Sextetcurrent
- Flip Phillips and His Orchestracurrent
- The Flip Phillips Quintetcurrent
- The Oscar Peterson Quarteteponymous, organ, original, pianocurrent
- The Trumpets of Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie and Harry Edisonpianocurrent
- The Milt Jackson Big 4piano · 1975–1975
- The Oscar Peterson Trioeponymous, original, piano
Similar artists
Archive
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Identifiers & aliases
Also known as: Oscar Emmanuel Peterson, Oscar Petersen, Oscar Petterson
Oscar Emmanuel Peterson was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won eight Grammy Awards, as well as a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy, and received numerous other awards and honours. He played thousands of concerts worldwide in a career lasting more than 60 years. He was called the "Maharaja of the keyboard" by Duke Ellington, simply "O.P." by his friends, and was informally known in the jazz community as "the King of inside swing".
All links
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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