Oscar Peterson

by Gene Lees

In 1949, from relative obscurity, Montreal-born Oscar Peterson blazed on the scene with a Carnegie Hall debut. He was 24 and offered a unique "swing" style punctuated by the dazzling virtuosity that no one had seen before. Lees recounts Peterson's childhood and what it meant to be black and talented in 1940s Canada. He provides vivid description of his father, Daniel, a railway porter and severe taskmaster, anxious for his children's future and opposed to his son choosing jazz over classical music (Peterson's brother and sister both being accomplished musicians, themselves).