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.
Let's Fall In Love
The Oscar Peterson Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why shouldn't we fall in love?
Our hearts are made of it
Let's take a chance
Why be afraid of it?
Let's close our eyes
And make our own paradise
Still we can try
To make a go of it
We might have been meant for each other
To be or not to be, let our hearts discover
Let's fall in love
Why shouldn't we fall in love?
Now is the time for it
While we are young
Let's fall in love
We might have been meant for each other
To be or not to be, let our hearts discover
Let's fall in love
Why shouldn't we fall in love?
Now is the time for it
While we are young
Let's fall in love
The lyrics of "Let's Fall in Love" by The Oscar Peterson Trio present us with a romantic and optimistic perspective on love. The opening lines suggest that falling in love is a natural thing and that, because our hearts are made of it, we shouldn't be afraid to take a chance on it. The song invites us to close our eyes and create our own paradise, even if we don't know much about it or are uncertain about our ability to make it work. The overall message of the song is clear: we should embrace love and take a chance on it because it might just be what we were meant for.
The lyrics also play with some of the classic tropes of love songs, presenting the idea that we might have been "meant for each other" and that our hearts should "discover" if we are meant to be together. Despite these sentimental themes, the lyrics are delivered in a straightforward and unpretentious way, relying on simple and effective rhyming schemes, and they ultimately celebrate the simplicity and beauty of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's fall in love
Proposing to fall in love.
Why shouldn't we fall in love?
Questioning the reason for not falling in love and suggesting that love is worth taking a chance.
Our hearts are made of it
Assuming that love is fundamental to human nature that we must pursue.
Let's take a chance
Encouraging to take a risk for the sake of love.
Why be afraid of it?
Challenging the fear of being vulnerable in love.
Let's close our eyes
Inviting to indulge in the blissful experience of falling in love.
And make our own paradise
Creating a perfect world by sharing love.
Little we know of it
Acknowledging that love is complex and inexplicable.
Still we can try
Motivating to attempt making love work despite uncertainty.
To make a go of it
Devoting to making love work.
We might have been meant for each other
Suggesting a deep, natural connection between two people.
To be or not to be, let our hearts discover
Reflecting on the Shakespearean question of life's purpose and suggesting that falling in love is a worthwhile exploration.
Now is the time for it
Urging to pursue love now instead of waiting.
While we are young
Emphasizing that time is limited and encouraging to act on love while still able.
Let's fall in love
Reiterating the proposal to fall in love.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind