Re: Oscar Peterson Dead At 82
I have just read in today's UK Daily Telrgraph that one of my favourite Canadian artists died on Christmas Eve at the age of 82 from Kidney failure having survived a stroke in 1993
and now I find yat Yuri posted on the actual day, buit then both he and Oscar live(d) in Mississuaga
Oscar Peterson who led a regular trio through several changes of personnel and continued to tour until this year
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/26/db2601.xml&DCMP=EMC-new_26122007In my time at university I was much drawn to modern Jazz especially Dave Brubeck and his wonderful saxophonist Paul Desmond and I well remember a pair of concerts at the Hammersmith (London) Odeon featuring Oscar and Ella Fitzgerald
At the time the theatre would invite students from my college (about 6 miles away) to help serving ice creams and progammes in return we could then see the concerts for free, not a bad arrangement at all!! I must admit that I was not then nor since particularly enamoured of Ella's style but Oscar was wonderful. During one of Ella's two performances I stood behind the very back row and was suddenly aware of a massive presence next to me. I actually got Oscar's autograph on (I think) my programme but although I still have a programme copy here there is sadly no autograph on it.
Later Oscar did a series of specials on BBC television and after William (Count) Basie's death in 1984 the Beeb rebroadcast the episode in which a clearly very deferential Oscar played on one of two identical Bosendorfer grand pianos (a company now just acquired by Yamaha I see)
and both legends proceeded to royally take the piss out of each other. the complete show I have on an old UK PAL Betamax videotape soon to be digitised into a DVD. It lasts I think a full hour but I now find that some turned on soul has uploaded a 4 1/2 minute sampling segment of this to youtube at:-
This is also on myspacetv:-
http://www.findinternettv.com/Video,...093801756.aspx
IMHO you do not need to either like or understand jazz to really enjoy this
__________________
"Sir" John Fowles Bt
Honorary Curator Bootleg Museum 
(where Sir does not signify that I am a fully benighted Knight just a Bt which signifies a humble Baronet -?? read the wiki!)
I meant no one no harm Once inside we found a curious moonbeam Doing dances on the floor
Last edited by johnfowles; 12-26-2007 at 08:00 PM.
Reason: tidying up
|