[Today: A fond farewell to a jazz legend...]
Beloved jazz pianist Oscar Peterson died today from kidney failure. He was 82 years old. Peterson played alongside numerous jazz icons during his lengthy career, but is best remembered for the recordings he made with his trios between 1953 and 1965. These included bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis, who was replaced in 1958 by drummer Ed Thigpen.
While Peterson was often accused of filling his songs with too many notes, and some critics believed that his technical flourishes overshadowed the spirit of the compositions he performed, there was no debating the speed and skill he consistently demonstrated. His career spanned seven decades, and he recorded literally hundreds of albums – often releasing 4 or 5 titles in a single year. Peterson performed right up to the end of his life, overcoming a stroke in 1993 and battling through arthritis in his hands. His prolific live schedule birthed the legend that he had performed in every concert hall in the world.
I had the good fortune of seeing Oscar Peterson play live at Yoshi’s in Oakland in 2001. Two things immediately struck me about him: his sheer physical size, and the grace with which he carried himself. It was clear that he wasn’t in good health, and simply getting on and across the stage was a supreme task. But once his fingers hit the ivory, everything became effortless, and the notes flowed forth like water from a faucet. To sit in a room that small and watch a legend do his thing for 90 minutes was a real honor, and something I won’t soon forget.
His 1962 album Night Train is one of my personal favorites. It was also one of Peterson’s personal favorites. Someday it might be one of your favorites as well…
Listen: Night Train
Tags: Jazz, Night Train, Oscar Peterson
26 December 2007 at 10:23 am |
well said. nice tribute