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.
Love for Sale
The Oscar Peterson Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Appetizing, young love for sale.
Love that's fresh and still unspoiled. Love that's only slighty soiled.
Love for sale.
Who will buy?
Who will like to sample my supply?
Who's prepared to pay the price for a trip to paradise?
Let the poets pipe of love in their childish way.
I know every type of love better far than they.
If you want the thrill of love I've been through the mid'l of love.
Old love. New love. Every love, but true love.
Love for sale.
Appetizing young love for sale.
If you want to buy my wares, follow me and climb the stairs.
Love for sale.
The Oscar Peterson Trio's Love For Sale is a song that portrays the theme of prostitution. The opening line is a striking statement that highlights the sale of love, which refers to prostitution. The lyrics then describe the love that is sold with all its different types, including fresh, unspoiled, and even slightly soiled. The song continues to ask, "Who will buy?" which is a way of illustrating the fact that there is a market for this kind of love, and there are people who are willing to pay for it. The lyrics also suggest that the customers of this love are looking for a trip to paradise.
The second verse of the song takes a dig at the poets’ portrayal of love as childish, and claims that the singer has experienced all types of love – old and new – but not true love. This statement adds to the perception that the love that the singer is talking about is solely business and has nothing to do with true love. The final verse asks the listener to follow them and climb the stairs if they want to buy their “wares,” signifying the act of physically visiting a brothel or a prostitute.
Overall, the song talks about love that can be bought and sold, a theme that is usually controversial and stigmatized in society. Still, the song seems to celebrate this type of love with its upbeat tempo and lively melody, which stands out in contrast to the lyrics’ theme.
Line by Line Meaning
Love for sale.
The singer is offering love as a commodity for purchase.
Appetizing, young love for sale.
The love being sold is desirable and attractive, and likely belongs to someone young.
Love that's fresh and still unspoiled.
The love being sold is new and has not yet been tainted or corrupted.
Love that's only slightly soiled.
Some of the love being sold may have been tarnished or marred, but only minimally so.
Who will buy?
The singer is looking for customers to purchase their love.
Who will like to sample my supply?
The singer is asking who wants to try out what they have to offer.
Who's prepared to pay the price for a trip to paradise?
The customer must be willing to pay whatever price is necessary to experience the bliss of this love.
Let the poets pipe of love in their childish way.
The singer believes that poets are naive in their depiction of love.
I know every type of love better far than they.
The singer is claiming to have a deeper understanding of love than these poets.
If you want the thrill of love I've been through the mid'l of love.
The singer has experienced a range of different types of love and is offering their expertise to potential customers.
Old love. New love. Every love, but true love.
The love being sold may take many forms, but it is not genuine or authentic love.
If you want to buy my wares, follow me and climb the stairs.
If someone wants to purchase the love being offered, they should follow the singer and go where they lead.
Love for sale.
The chorus repeats the message that love is available for purchase.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dontheshark
What a marvelous version. Nobody but Oscar rises to his level.
dave daverson
This is one of his best. Nobody does it like Oscar did. Nobody can hum off key like that while playing and actually make the song even better. A true genius.
- uɐɯllǝפ
dave daverson see Keith Jarrett for some other worldly hum along
Mark Berry
Love this rendition, and Oscar's phrasing, pulling just so slightly on the beat. So glad to have met him backstage and got to thank him for all the wonderful music before he passed - one of a kind!
carl armstrong
Oscar is the very greatest.Practicing 10 hrs a day when he was in Toronto made him incomparable.
Nancy Eckroad-Haney
Thanks for this. No one can compare to Oscar. It's great to hear this jazz GIANT at his youthful vigor! I love his two-handed rolls at 2:44.
nestor torres
Cuando escuché este trío, siendo aún adolescente, quedé impresionado y debo reconocer que Peterson ha sido uno de los pianistas que más he disfrutado, por su técnica exquisita y su gran sensibilidad como acompañante.
Spark _
Oscar Peterson was so keen to music!!! And we were keen to his style...often I heard , or hear any great version of the standards...it's often his & we know that's got to be him by listening.What a true talent & quality he had!
Jorge VERGARA VERGARA
Que trío tan fantástico! ... geniales caray!..en música, para mi, no hay nada mas bello que el sonido del jazz ...
paulos.artes souzasilva
Maravilhoso!!!