He 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 month.
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 Ray Brown, Ben Webster, Herb Ellis, Ed Thigpen, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Terry, Joe Pass, 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 resumed 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, proof that Oscar Peterson is still regarded as one of the greatest jazz musicians ever to play.
His work has earned him seven Grammy awards over the years and he was elected to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1978. He also belongs to the Juno Awards Hall of Fame and the Canadian Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame.
He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1972, and promoted to Companion, its highest rank, in 1984. He is also a member of the Order of Ontario, a Chevalier of the National Order of Quebec, and an officer of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
He has received the Roy Thomson Award (1987), a Toronto Arts Award for lifetime achievement (1991), the Governor General's Performing Arts Award (1992), the Glenn Gould Prize (1993), the award of the International Society for Performing Artists (1995), the Loyola Medal of Concordia University (1997), the Praemium Imperiale World Art Award (1999), the UNESCO Music Prize (2000), and the Toronto Musicians' Association Musician of the Year award (2001).
From 1991 to 1994 he was chancellor of York University in Toronto.
In 2004 the City of Toronto named the courtyard of the Toronto-Dominion Centre Oscar Peterson Square.
Peterson's niece, Sylvia Sweeney, is a Canadian journalist and documentary film producer. Her 1992 film In the Key of Oscar is about Peterson.
On August 15, 2005 Peterson celebrated his 80th birthday at the HMV flagship store in Toronto. A crowd of about 200 gathered to celebrate with him there. Diana Krall sang happy birthday to him and also performed a vocal version of one of Peterson's songs "When Summer Comes". The lyrics for this version were written by Elvis Costello, Krall's husband. Canada Post unveiled a commemorative postage stamp in his honour. This marked the first time that a Canadian postage stamp was created celebrating an individual who was still alive other than Queen Elizabeth II. The event was covered by a live radio broadcast by Toronto jazz station, jazz.fm.
Autumn in New York
The Oscar Peterson Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So on this gray and melancholy day, I'll move to a Manhattan hotel.
I'll dispose of my rose-colored chattels and prepare for my share of adventures and battles,
Here on the twenty-seventh floor looking down on the city I hate and adore!
Autumn in New York, why does it seem so inviting?
Autumn in New York, it spells the thrill of first-nighting.
Glittering crowds and shimmering clouds in canyons of steel, they're making me feel I'm home.
Autumn in New
York is often mingled with pain.
Dreamers with empty hands may sigh for exotic lands,
It's autumn in New York,
It's good to live again.
The opening lines of The Oscar Peterson Trio's song, “Autumn in New York,” detail the end of a holiday and the start of a new adventure for the persona, signaling a change in their life. The persona explains that they are leaving behind the country and all its rose-colored memories, and will soon be in a Manhattan hotel to prepare themselves for new experiences and challenges. Throughout the song, the persona is seen looking down, presumably from the 27th floor, onto the very city they both hate and love, foreshadowing inevitable struggles that come with big-city living. The title itself evokes a sense of mystery and allure, romanticizing the idea of autumn in New York and hinting at the seductive nature of the city.
The following lines, “It spells the thrill of first-nighting. Glittering crowds and shimmering clouds in canyons of steel, they're making me feel I'm home,” paint an image of excitement and entertainment. The persona finds solace in the crowds and buildings of the city, providing comfort in the unfamiliar. They mention the promise of new love, highlighting the many possibilities and opportunities that come with a new chapter in life. The song also touches on the bittersweetness of autumn in New York, acknowledging the pain that often comes with change while also appreciating the joy of being alive to experience it. Overall, the song “Autumn in New York” captures conflicting emotions, highlighting the complexity of any new beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
It's time to end my holiday and bid the country a hasty farewell.
The vacation is over and I must say goodbye to the countryside with a sense of haste.
So on this gray and melancholy day, I'll move to a Manhattan hotel.
I'll relocate to a hotel in Manhattan on a dismal day in a somber mood.
I'll dispose of my rose-colored chattels and prepare for my share of adventures and battles,
I'll eliminate my idealistic belongings and get ready to deal with challenges and conflicts that will come my way.
Here on the twenty-seventh floor looking down on the city I hate and adore!
I am currently situated in a room on the twenty-seventh storey facing the city I both love and loathe.
Autumn in New York, why does it seem so inviting?
There's some inexplicable charm to autumn in New York that makes it remarkably appealing.
Autumn in New York, it spells the thrill of first-nighting.
Autumn in New York is synonymous with the excitement of experiencing something new for the first time.
Glittering crowds and shimmering clouds in canyons of steel, they're making me feel I'm home.
The gleaming city streets filled with multitudes of people and skyscrapers that reflect the clouds make me feel as if I belong here.
It's autumn in New York that brings the promise of new love.
There's something about autumn in New York that inspires the hope of finding newfound love.
Autumn in New York is often mingled with pain.
Autumn in New York is frequently accompanied by sorrow.
Dreamers with empty hands may sigh for exotic lands,
Those with unfulfilled aspirations may yearn for faraway destinations.
It's autumn in New York, it's good to live again.
Autumn in New York signifies a fresh start; it's a good time to feel alive once more.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: VERNON DUKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ashton’s Retro Computer Room
One of my favourite albums
AgaPadar
Amazing album
Levent Parman
The Oscar Peterson Trio with Sonny Stitt, Roy Eldridge and Jo Jones at Newport is a 1957 live album by Oscar Peterson.
Personnel:
Sonny Stitt - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Roy Eldridge - trumpet
Oscar Peterson – piano
Ray Brown – double bass
Herb Ellis - guitar
Jo Jones - drums.
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