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Oscar Peterson
958,437 plays (108,681 listeners)
jazz, piano, jazz piano, swing, bebop… see all
Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer.
Born in Montreal, Canada, Peterson began learning trumpet and piano from his father at the age of five, but by the age of seven, after a bout of tuberculosis, he concentrated on the piano. Some of the artists who influenced Peterson during the early years were Teddy Wilson, Nat “King” Cole, James P. Johnson, and the legendary Art Tatum, to whom many have tried to compare Peterson in later years. In fact, one of his first exposures to the musical talents of Art Tatum came early in his teen years when his father played an Art Tatum record to him and Peterson was so intimidated by what he heard that he didn’t touch the piano for over a week.
He soon developed a reputation as a technically brilliant and melodically inventive jazz pianist, and became a regular on Canadian radio. His United States introduction was at Carnegie Hall, New York City in 1949 by Norman Granz; owing to union restrictions his appearance could not be billed.
Some of his musical associates have included Ray Brown, Ben Webster, Herb Ellis, Ed Thigpen, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Louis Armstrong, Stéphane Grappelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Terry, Joe Pass, Count Basie, and Stan Getz. An important step in his career was joining impresario Norman Granz’s labels (especially Verve records) and Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic package, with which he was able to play with the major jazz artists of the time. Granz was also his manager for most of Peterson’s career.
Born in Montreal, Canada, Peterson began learning trumpet and piano from his father at the age of five, but by the age of seven, after a bout of tuberculosis, he concentrated on the piano. Some of the artists who influenced Peterson during the early years were Teddy Wilson, Nat “King” Cole, James P. Johnson, and the legendary Art Tatum, to whom many have tried to compare Peterson in later years. In fact, one of his first exposures to the musical talents of Art Tatum came early in his teen years when his father played an Art Tatum record to him and Peterson was so intimidated by what he heard that he didn’t touch the piano for over a week.
He soon developed a reputation as a technically brilliant and melodically inventive jazz pianist, and became a regular on Canadian radio. His United States introduction was at Carnegie Hall, New York City in 1949 by Norman Granz; owing to union restrictions his appearance could not be billed.
Some of his musical associates have included Ray Brown, Ben Webster, Herb Ellis, Ed Thigpen, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Louis Armstrong, Stéphane Grappelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Terry, Joe Pass, Count Basie, and Stan Getz. An important step in his career was joining impresario Norman Granz’s labels (especially Verve records) and Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic package, with which he was able to play with the major jazz artists of the time. Granz was also his manager for most of Peterson’s career.
Including Bill Evans, Art Tatum, Horace Silver, Erroll Garner, Thelonious Monk, Count Basie, Bud Powell and more…
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Top Tracks
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Night Train
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Georgia on My Mind
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Mas Que Nada
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Summertime
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Honeysuckle Rose
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I've Got You Under My Skin
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Wheatland
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Satin Doll
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Wave
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It Ain't Necessarily So
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Sweet Georgia Brown
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I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
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Moten Swing
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Soft Winds
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Shoutbox
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cerenjuli wrote:
he is amazing !
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enderby12 wrote:
Not C-Jam Blues but thnx for trying.
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ODIUMMUIDO wrote:
awesome, otherworldy, divine
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rramiel wrote:
Maybe "C-Jam Blues"? You've got it here on the list...
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enderby12 wrote:
HELP! - I heard a great track by Oscar a few years ago but didn't note the title and haven't been able to track it down since. It starts with a fairly long (minute or so) slow solo piano intro, into a longish slow blues. I think it was called '[something] Blues'. Give me a shout if you think you know. Thanks.
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otifant wrote:
Yepp, yepp! Hi Oscar, you'r super!
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jazzy-yeah wrote:
Yeah, he is the best!
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hoigo wrote:
he is the best
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cesarojedac wrote:
the best jazz forever
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ChicharroJazz wrote:
That's what I call SWING! OSCAR PETERSON!
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chaosofmind wrote:
A true legend. RIP
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secrex wrote:
Is the best
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BebopGrandpop wrote:
Oscar Peterson is the most complete jazz pianist I ever heard. He could play as fast as lightning on uptempo bebop tunes. He could weave classical lines into his solos. And he played the blues with incredible timing and flair. He was terrific as a solo artist, fluid in trios and quartets, and thoughtful comping behind singers. His only desire seemed to make great music, whether he was its focal
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peeanolover wrote:
I repeat my shout of feb.15 in a more civilised language: Oscar you are the greatest, continue playing in heaven, let's hope there is a piano-heaven, otherwise it would be real shit.
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Sovereignty wrote:
Seems like there isn't any songs from Hello Herbie on here, which is one of my favourite albums :D
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Sovereignty wrote:
I agree. It's a damn shame!
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cryingshame wrote:
You know what hurts my soul? Britney Spears (read more) 14,472,278 plays scrobbled on Last.fm Oscar Peterson (read more) 628,979 plays scrobbled on Last.fm
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peeanolover wrote:
Öski, du bisch de gröscht, schpiel no wieter im Himmel obe, hoffentlich getts en Klavierhimmel, sös wärs denn scho en huere Seich
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brianhope wrote:
Gone is another Giant of Jazz, in more way than one. Of to that place where there must be a non-stop gig that one day we can attend.
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analogonz wrote:
r.i.p. departed soul
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Recent Activity
- neillg, nilom and ruewabau added Oscar Peterson to their libraries. 6 hours ago
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- ifmusicbe tagged Oscar Peterson with ‘bebop’, ‘piano’, ‘swing’ and ‘jazz’. Tuesday evening
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- aasmirnoff tagged Oscar Peterson with ‘jazz piano’. Monday morning
- jefferydh, nbottarini, Sphereacidburn9 and 4 other people added Oscar Peterson to their libraries. Monday morning
- JESUS-UOL tagged Oscar Peterson with ‘instrumental’. Sunday evening
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