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Biography of Oscar PetersonName: Oscar PetersonBirth Date: August 15, 1925 Death Date: N/A Place of Birth: Montreal, Canada Nationality: Canadian Gender: Male Occupations: pianist Oscar Peterson One of the most admired, though sometimes controversial, pianists in jazz, Oscar Peterson (born 1925) in the post-war era claimed the same sort of status as earlier greats such as James P. Anderson, Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, Fats Waller, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, and Bill Evans. Possibly the most successful artist produced by Canada, he has appeared on well over 200 albums spanning six decades and has won numerous awards, including eight Grammys. During his career he has performed and recorded with, among others, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, and Charlie Parker.Peterson came of age during the bebop and swing years of the 1940s. A brute force on the piano, Peterson, similar to his idol Art Tatum, seems to play without strain and with a great command of his instrument. "Oscar told me," said younger pianist Billy Green to Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times, "…showed first 150 words…
…showed last 150 words…up from the piano, take my bows, thank my group, and say, 'This is it.' Then I'll close the piano and that will be the last time I play publicly." Further Reading Almanac of Famous People, 6th edition, Gale Research, 1998.Complete Marquis Who's Who, Marquis Who's Who, 2001.Contemporary Musicians, Volume 11, Gale Research, 1994.Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 24, 1997.Billboard, December 12, 1992; September 7, 1996; April 7, 2001.Booklist, February 15, 1999; July 2002.Boston Globe, March 12, 1987.Commentary, October 2002Chicago Tribune, August 7, 1994; June 6, 1999; June 14, 1999; September 30, 2002.Down Beat, March 1993; August 1993; December 1994; August 1995; September 1995; October 1995; July 1996; February 1997; May 1997; September 1997; January 1998; February 1998; March 1998; September 1998; July 1999; September 1999; February 2000; March 2001; February 2002.Guitar Player, February 1996.Jet, July 17, 1995.Library Journal, July 2002.Los Angeles Times, November 16, 1986; January 6, 1995; June 18, 1995; April 15, 1997; February 27, 1998; August 6, 1998; August 21, 1998; March 21, 1999; August 24, 2001; November 24, 2002.Maclean's, November 2, 1992; December 28, 1992; June 16, 1997; September 13, 1999; July 24, 2000; September 4, 2000; September 2, 2002.New York Times, June 29, 1999; July 30, 2001; July 14, 2002.People, June 23, 1997.Performing Arts, Autumn 2000.Publishers Weekly, June 10, 2002.Saturday Night, September 1995.USA Today, November 13, 1990.Wall Street Journal, January 11, 1995.Washington Post, November 1, 2001. |