who was Oscar Peterson .
Oscar Peterson was born on August 15th in Montreal, Canada. Blessed with an attractive stage personality, this behemoth of mainstream jazz’s fluid technique was influenced by Art Tatum, Erroll Garner and, later, George Shearing. After studying trumpet, illness redirected him to the piano. His enthusiasm resulted in endless hours of practise which helped mould his remarkable technique. In his mid-teens, after winning a local talent contest in 1940, Peterson was heard regularly on radio in Canada and beyond. By 1944, he was the featured pianist with the nationally famous Johnny Holmes Orchestra before leaving his own trio. Oscar Peterson was unusual in not serving an apprenticeship as an older player’s sideman. Although early recordings were dissapointing, he received lucrative offers to appear in the USA but these were resisted until a debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall with Norman Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic in September 1949. Oscar Peterson played with the greatest jazz anthems! L
