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.
Stella By Starlight
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through years of endless springs,
The murmur of a brook at evening tides.
That ripples through a nook where two lovers hide.
That great symphonic theme,
That's Stella by starlight,
And not a dream,
She's everything on this earth to me.
That great symphonic theme,
That's Stella by starlight,
And not a dream,
My heart and i agree,
She's everything on this earth to me.
The lyrics of "Stella By Starlight" convey the beauty and eternal nature of love. The song describes the various elements of nature that add to the charm of the melody. It begins with a reference to a robin singing, symbolizing the arrival of spring and the idea of rebirth. The song then alludes to the sound of a brook at evening tides that is heard when two lovers are hiding in a nook. This creates an image of a serene and peaceful setting where love can flourish.
The second stanza returns to the theme of the title, 'Stella by Starlight.' The song speaks of this great symphonic theme that represents the feeling of love that is not just a dream. The melody is so beautiful that it has touched the hearts of the song's narrator and their beloved. The singer declares that Stella is everything on this earth to them, emphasizing that the love they share is pure and soulful.
Overall, "Stella By Starlight" is a romantic ballad that describes the beauty and power of love, which is as eternal as the stars.
Line by Line Meaning
The song a robin sings,
The melody sung by a robin,
Through years of endless springs,
Heard during countless spring seasons,
The murmur of a brook at evening tides.
The gentle babbling of a creek at dusk.
That ripples through a nook where two lovers hide.
Flowing near a secluded spot where romantic couples can retreat.
That great symphonic theme,
The magnificent musical composition,
That's Stella by starlight,
Is known as Stella by Starlight,
And not a dream,
It is a real, tangible thing.
My heart and I agree,
Both my heart and I are in accord,
She's everything on this earth to me.
She represents everything I cherish and love in this world.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: NED WASHINGTON, VICTOR YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jennifer86010
@Timothy Gowers You are right, however Oscar never strayed from a tune's original chord changes or melody line in his improvisations. He played lots of blues licks and could create a bluesy sound. To actually play a tune as if it were a blues, a player would have to play actual 12 bar blues chord changes, which is the structural form that a blues
has. Playing this way would not be improvisation. This would be substitution. Oscar always remained true to the composers chord changes and melody lines. He was a very "notesy" player, being a protege of Art Tatum who played oodles of noodles on the keyboard.
Art and Oscar both had tremendous keyboard technique, very advanced, however Oscar also had incredible rhythmic feel, time and groove. He could swing like a loose garden gate in a hurricane. My first jazz record as a young kid was Oscar Peterson's "The Trio " recorded live at the London House in Chicago. Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums.
As a young jazz piano student, I listened to that recording endlessly, and several decades later as a performing jazz pianist, I met Oscar and he autographed the jacket of that original L.P. record. I still listen to it, and I still learn things from it, especially about Oscar's complex and sophisticated approach to improvisation as well as his mastery of the keyboard.
He had very large hands with long fingers. But I also discovered that the size and shape of a pianist's hands are not very important when playing piano. I've also shaken the tiny hand of Hiromi Uehara, a Japanese jazz-fusion piano star who is a human tornado on the keys. Classical virtuoso pianists Yuja Wang, Martha Argerich, and Marc Andre Hamelin are also hands which I've shaken, they each had very different hands, none of whom would be accused of having typical pianist's hands.
Kenny Werner, Denny Zeitlin, Chic Corea, and Keith Jarrett are also hands which didn't feel a bit like typical pianist's hands. Perhaps only Classical piano legend Vladimir Horowitz had the ideal pianist's hands. They were compared to a fine thoroughbred race horse with long graceful fingers. Unfortunately he died before I could meet him and perhaps shake his hand.
But despite a pianist's hands, it is actually the mind, heart and soul which plays the piano. The hands are only tools, and if the pianist has the will to play the music, the hands will find a way to make it happen.
@suhdongbin8248
this swing groove is so deep that I cannot stop bopping
@najponkjazz9111
Wonderful trio!!!! I was just wondering how many Oscar's recordings with George Mraz was hidden....absolutely great!!!! Thanks for sharing rujazzka!!!!
@caseinpoint5776
WOW! 32 bars of a swinging, bluesy, invitation to groove! So tight!!!
@ccaammiinniiito2
You just can't go wrong with anything done by Canada's Oscar Peterson.
@OS-yg9fr
"canada's" was unnecessary and you know it, dweeb
@rxshad1
@O S you’re dumb lol
@OS-yg9fr
@Rashad you're gey lol
@rxshad1
@O S you’re definitely a middle schooler
@OS-yg9fr
@Rashad you're definitely a dweeb
@jennifer86010
I've been listening to Keith play Stella, on my way to hearing Bill play Stella, and I stopped off to hear Oscar play it, thinking it would be too notesy, too ornate, too chopsy.....but then at 1:07 Oscar's trio starts this incredible groove, and marvelous feel...which is so compelling, that it doesn't even matter what tune they are playing...it just feels so damn good !!!! And Oscar can decorate it all with his ooodles of noodles notes and it doesn't even matter. Their tempos, rhythms, and grooves are so delicious, I can't even remember how Keith played Stella, and now I don't even want to waste the time listening to Bill play it....Oscar's trio has got me captured !!!!!