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 Lester Young, 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. Some cognoscenti assert that Peterson's best recordings were made for the MPS label in the late 'sixties and early 'seventies. For some years subsequently he recorded for Granz's Pablo Records after the label was founded in 1973 and in more recent years for the Telarc label.
In 1993, Peterson suffered a serious stroke that weakened his left side and sidelined him for two years. However he overcame this setback and went back to touring, recording, and composing on a limited basis. In 1997 he received a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement and an International Jazz Hall of Fame Award. He died on December 24th, 2007 of kidney failure.
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But now I hear love call,
I'm getting sentimental over you
Things you say and do,
Just thrill me through and through,
I'm getting sentimental over you.
I could live without love
Now I must admit,
Love is all I'm thinking of
Won't you please be kind,
And just make up your mind
That you'll be sweet & gentle,
Be gentle with me
Because I'm sentimental over you
The lyrics of Oscar Peterson's I'm Getting Sentimental Over You describe the feelings of someone who has unexpectedly fallen in love. The first two lines express surprise at falling in love, perhaps suggesting that the singer had previously believed themselves to be immune to love. The next two lines convey how much the object of their affection affects them - everything the person says and does thrills the singer. The chorus repeats the titular sentiment, emphasizing how overwhelmed the singer feels by their emotions.
The following lines describe how the singer once believed they could be happy without love, but now love is all they can think about. They implore the object of their affections to be gentle with them, suggesting a vulnerability and a sense of dependence on the other person's actions. The lyrics evoke a sense of total surrender to the power of love and a deep emotional connection.
Interestingly, while the song is often linked with romantic love, it was originally written by George Bassman and Ned Washington for a 1932 short film called "Melody for Two," which was about two college musicians competing for a job as conductor. The song was later popularized by Big Band leader Tommy Dorsey who recorded an instrumental arrangement which became a hit in the 1940s. Peterson's 1950 recording of the song, with vocals by Bill Henderson, brought I'm Getting Sentimental Over You to a new generation.
Line by Line Meaning
Never thought I'd fall,
I never imagined that I would fall in love
But now I hear love call,
But now I feel the strong desire to be in love
I'm getting sentimental over you
I'm becoming emotional and nostalgic because of my feelings for you
Things you say and do,
The things you say and do have a profound effect on me
Just thrill me through and through,
They make me feel exhilarated and excited to the core
I'm getting sentimental over you.
These feelings of attachment and affection for you are growing stronger and stronger
I thought I was happy,
I used to think that I was content without being in love
I could live without love
But now, I realize that love is a vital part of my life
Now I must admit,
I have to concede
Love is all I'm thinking of
That love is the only thing on my mind
Won't you please be kind,
Can you please be considerate
And just make up your mind
And decide once and for all
That you'll be sweet & gentle,
To be kind and gentle with me
Be gentle with me
Because I am extremely sensitive and emotional with regards to you
Because I'm sentimental over you
That I am in love with you and have intense emotions towards you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: George Bassman, Ned Washington
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tom Devaney
Never realized until recently how much I miss all three. Jazz has not been the same. So lucky to have lived along side and enjoyed these GIANTS .And to have met two of them.
Walter Gray
Wonderful !!!
Thank you for sharing.
virginia marques
O DIVINO JOE PASS!!!
Big Lou McCafferty
Amazing!
Doc E
Ace ! Mr. Peterson hosted BBCs jazz nite in the 70's, Joe Pass' brown book was my guitar bible, and Ray Brown was my favourite walking bass-man with the strictest time.. (those all-star records with Shelley Manne). Nice redwood pic too.. Thanks for another good post
marcos souza
solo oscar peterson very good