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.
How High Is the Moon
The Oscar Peterson Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
There is no moon above
When love is far away too
Till it comes true
That you love me as I love you
Somewhere there's music
How near, how far
Somewhere there's heaven
It's where you are
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon
Somewhere there's music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon
The lyrics to The Oscar Peterson Trio's song How High The Moon convey the idea of two lovers separated by distance, longing for each other while trying to find solace in the thought that there is music and heaven somewhere. The word "somewhere" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the intangible nature of the comfort they seek. The idea that heaven is high up in the sky, where the moon is located, suggests a sense of longing for transcendence.
The absence of the moon, which serves as a metaphor for the absence of love, is a recurring motif in the song. The use of the word "too" in the line "When love is far away too" suggests that the absence of the moon is not only due to physical distance but also to emotional distance. The repetition of the phrase "how still my heart" at the end of the song highlights the emotional intensity of the lovers' yearning.
Overall, the lyrics to How High The Moon evoke a sense of melancholy and yearning, while also conveying the idea that there is comfort to be found in the beauty of music and the promise of heaven.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere there's music
Music can always be found somewhere, even if it is not at the forefront of our attention.
How faint the tune
The music may be present, but not easily heard or noticed.
Somewhere there's heaven
A place of pure happiness and bliss can be found somewhere in this world.
How high the moon
The peak of joy and love is as high as the moon in the sky.
There is no moon above
When love is not present, even the guiding light of the moon is absent.
When love is far away too
The distance between two people in love can make it seem as though the moon is unreachable.
Till it comes true
The hope and faith in love must remain until it becomes a reality.
That you love me as I love you
The ultimate dream is for two people to love each other equally.
Somewhere there's music
Music can always be found somewhere, even if it is not at the forefront of our attention.
How near, how far
The music can be close or distant, just like the feeling of love.
Somewhere there's heaven
A place of pure happiness and bliss can be found somewhere in this world.
It's where you are
For some, that place of pure happiness is simply being with the person they love.
The darkest night would shine
Even in the darkest moments, love can provide a glimmer of light.
If you would come to me soon
Being reunited with a loved one is the ultimate source of light and happiness.
Until you will, how still my heart
In the absence of love, the heart can feel stagnant and motionless.
How high the moon
The peak of joy and love is as high as the moon in the sky.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MORGAN LEWIS, NANCY HAMILTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind