1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:24,650 --> 00:00:27,656 -[piano keys tuning octaves] -[musicians chatter] 4 00:00:40,548 --> 00:00:42,652 [bass riff playing] 5 00:00:44,355 --> 00:00:45,959 I could listen to about four notes, 6 00:00:46,059 --> 00:00:48,196 and I'd say, "That's Oscar." [chuckles] 7 00:00:48,564 --> 00:00:49,933 [Herbie Hancock] It's a beautiful day. 8 00:00:50,033 --> 00:00:52,271 To be here, feeling the spirit of Oscar, 9 00:00:52,371 --> 00:00:55,210 it's a very, very special, special thing for me. 10 00:00:55,310 --> 00:00:58,551 [various instruments playing] 11 00:00:59,051 --> 00:01:00,187 It's been amazing, just... 12 00:01:00,287 --> 00:01:02,224 in company of such great musicians. 13 00:01:02,324 --> 00:01:03,961 If I can honor him 14 00:01:04,061 --> 00:01:05,497 the best that I can, that's enough, 15 00:01:05,598 --> 00:01:07,101 and I'm sure that's all he would ask. 16 00:01:07,201 --> 00:01:11,075 [jazz music] 17 00:01:24,268 --> 00:01:26,840 My first guest is someone who is most simply described 18 00:01:26,941 --> 00:01:29,045 as the best jazz pianist in the world. 19 00:01:29,145 --> 00:01:31,517 [jazz piano music] 20 00:01:34,923 --> 00:01:36,426 He has such virtuoso technique 21 00:01:36,527 --> 00:01:39,599 and such a... breathtaking imagination. 22 00:01:39,700 --> 00:01:41,202 [jazz piano music] 23 00:01:43,006 --> 00:01:45,778 It's my pleasure now to introduce-- 24 00:01:45,878 --> 00:01:48,049 -Oscar Peterson! -Oscar Peterson. 25 00:01:48,149 --> 00:01:49,318 Oscar Peterson! 26 00:01:49,653 --> 00:01:53,259 [audience applauds] 27 00:01:54,763 --> 00:01:56,432 [jazz piano music] 28 00:01:58,938 --> 00:02:01,042 [Oscar Peterson] I get up in the morning, I think "piano". 29 00:02:01,142 --> 00:02:02,946 I go to bed at night, I think "piano". 30 00:02:03,046 --> 00:02:04,248 During the day, I think "piano". 31 00:02:04,850 --> 00:02:07,689 I am a jazz pianist. That's all I want to be. 32 00:02:08,356 --> 00:02:11,429 What he just threw away for five seconds, 33 00:02:11,530 --> 00:02:13,934 I would cut off my arm to be able to do. 34 00:02:14,035 --> 00:02:16,039 Who's at the top of the heap? Oscar. 35 00:02:16,139 --> 00:02:18,678 [jazz piano music] 36 00:02:18,778 --> 00:02:20,314 He's certainly one of the 37 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,255 greatest exponents of jazz music 38 00:02:24,355 --> 00:02:26,560 of our time, and even anytime. 39 00:02:27,094 --> 00:02:31,503 [Ramsey Lewis] Oscar Peterson was the best in piano playing. 40 00:02:31,904 --> 00:02:34,141 The best that there could be. 41 00:02:34,241 --> 00:02:35,812 [jazz piano music] 42 00:02:37,515 --> 00:02:39,485 [Jon Batiste] Oscar Peterson comes along, 43 00:02:39,753 --> 00:02:41,456 and he just fits in this 44 00:02:41,657 --> 00:02:44,495 wonderful mosaic puzzle of jazz in the history. 45 00:02:44,596 --> 00:02:46,934 He fills another gap. He fills a void. 46 00:02:47,034 --> 00:02:48,403 [jazz piano music] 47 00:02:55,551 --> 00:02:56,620 You can't talk about jazz 48 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:57,956 in the middle of the 20th century 49 00:02:58,056 --> 00:02:59,191 without understanding 50 00:02:59,291 --> 00:03:00,828 what a phenomenon Oscar Peterson was. 51 00:03:00,928 --> 00:03:02,832 [jazz piano music] 52 00:03:20,133 --> 00:03:22,706 [audience applauds] 53 00:03:29,251 --> 00:03:32,257 ♪ ♪ 54 00:04:10,868 --> 00:04:14,743 ♪ ♪ 55 00:04:29,940 --> 00:04:32,612 ♪ ♪ 56 00:04:35,383 --> 00:04:37,989 [slow jazz piano music] 57 00:04:39,458 --> 00:04:41,295 He plays with power, but also 58 00:04:41,395 --> 00:04:42,999 there's a certain lightness to it, 59 00:04:43,099 --> 00:04:45,036 because it's so easy. 60 00:04:45,705 --> 00:04:48,243 [Botos] One of the first albums I heard, 61 00:04:48,343 --> 00:04:51,750 records I heard, was "Oscar Peterson Plus One." 62 00:04:51,850 --> 00:04:54,656 The major things I remember feeling was 63 00:04:54,856 --> 00:04:56,359 the freedom, the swing. 64 00:04:56,459 --> 00:05:00,400 S-W-I-N-G, swing. [chuckles] 65 00:05:00,501 --> 00:05:03,173 That is what I think about Oscar Peterson. 66 00:05:03,273 --> 00:05:05,177 I mean, he embodies swing. 67 00:05:05,277 --> 00:05:08,617 [jazz music] 68 00:05:16,834 --> 00:05:20,073 [speaking French] 69 00:05:33,099 --> 00:05:35,505 [playing "Place St. Henri"] 70 00:05:41,884 --> 00:05:43,386 Oscar, I'm sure that our viewers would like to know 71 00:05:43,486 --> 00:05:45,591 some more about your very exciting career. 72 00:05:45,691 --> 00:05:47,427 Tell me, how did it all get started? 73 00:05:47,529 --> 00:05:49,164 [Oscar] Well, it all started with my dad. 74 00:05:49,265 --> 00:05:51,035 He became a musician 75 00:05:51,135 --> 00:05:52,839 because of being a sailor. 76 00:05:53,072 --> 00:05:54,676 He bought himself some kind of little organ, 77 00:05:54,776 --> 00:05:57,080 and taught himself how to play organ. 78 00:05:57,180 --> 00:05:59,151 He taught my mom how to play and then he decided, 79 00:05:59,251 --> 00:06:01,590 as the children came along, 80 00:06:01,690 --> 00:06:04,529 that we should all have a workable knowledge of music. 81 00:06:04,629 --> 00:06:07,367 And I think it was wonderful. I started on trumpet originally. 82 00:06:07,467 --> 00:06:08,403 -Did you really? -Yes, I did. 83 00:06:08,504 --> 00:06:09,906 -What age? -Five. 84 00:06:10,006 --> 00:06:11,510 But I had tuberculosis. 85 00:06:11,610 --> 00:06:13,514 When I came out of the hospital about a year later, 86 00:06:13,614 --> 00:06:16,485 they asked me not to play a wind instrument, 87 00:06:16,587 --> 00:06:17,689 and go back to the piano, which I did. 88 00:06:17,789 --> 00:06:18,958 Do you think you were destined 89 00:06:19,058 --> 00:06:19,960 for the piano in some way? 90 00:06:20,060 --> 00:06:21,062 At that age, I thought 91 00:06:21,162 --> 00:06:22,164 I was destined to play baseball. 92 00:06:22,331 --> 00:06:23,333 [audience laughs] 93 00:06:23,433 --> 00:06:26,673 [jazz music] 94 00:06:40,367 --> 00:06:44,108 [Joel Michaels] And his dad would come home, expecting Oscar to be able to do 95 00:06:44,208 --> 00:06:45,511 what he had studied the week before. 96 00:06:45,745 --> 00:06:48,383 And Oscar, a few hours before his dad came home, 97 00:06:48,483 --> 00:06:50,120 he'd sit down and figure everything out, 98 00:06:50,220 --> 00:06:52,057 and that's how Oscar trained. 99 00:06:53,159 --> 00:06:55,430 [jazz music] 100 00:06:59,873 --> 00:07:04,348 ♪ ♪ 101 00:07:04,616 --> 00:07:07,655 The two teachers I really remember, of course, were my sister Daisy, 102 00:07:07,755 --> 00:07:10,260 and then a gentleman who had a great, great influence on me, 103 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,499 a Hungarian classical pianist by the name of Paul De Marky. 104 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,072 I taught him... technique, 105 00:07:16,172 --> 00:07:17,742 speedy fingers, 106 00:07:17,842 --> 00:07:19,579 because that's what you need in jazz. 107 00:07:19,946 --> 00:07:21,917 [Oscar] In music, he made me believe 108 00:07:22,017 --> 00:07:25,558 that I did have something to offer the music world. 109 00:07:25,658 --> 00:07:28,029 I attended a conservatory for a very short time. 110 00:07:28,129 --> 00:07:30,668 By that time I had more or less decided on jazz, 111 00:07:30,768 --> 00:07:33,172 which was not what the conservatory was teaching. 112 00:07:33,406 --> 00:07:34,943 So, I sort of had to make it up, 113 00:07:35,043 --> 00:07:36,580 with live role models. 114 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,049 People like Teddy Wilson, 115 00:07:38,149 --> 00:07:39,284 Nat King Cole. 116 00:07:39,519 --> 00:07:42,825 [jazz music] 117 00:07:50,808 --> 00:07:53,580 In an effort to deflate the ego of my youth, 118 00:07:53,681 --> 00:07:55,584 my father brought home an Art Tatum record. 119 00:07:55,685 --> 00:07:57,722 It actually haunted me that 120 00:07:58,056 --> 00:08:00,728 someone could play the piano this well. 121 00:08:20,768 --> 00:08:22,270 -Yeah. -[audience laughs] 122 00:08:22,805 --> 00:08:24,743 [Oscar] I gave up the piano for two solid months, 123 00:08:24,843 --> 00:08:26,613 and had crying fits at night. 124 00:08:27,214 --> 00:08:29,552 [Russonello] And so many musicians rightly have that moment, 125 00:08:29,652 --> 00:08:30,888 and recognize that indeed, 126 00:08:30,988 --> 00:08:32,959 nobody was going to beat Art Tatum. 127 00:08:33,059 --> 00:08:35,765 If there's one musician of the 20th century, who... 128 00:08:36,032 --> 00:08:38,369 had that moment and proved himself wrong, 129 00:08:38,469 --> 00:08:39,939 it's Oscar Peterson. 130 00:08:49,592 --> 00:08:51,963 [jazz trio playing] 131 00:09:04,421 --> 00:09:09,999 ♪ ♪ 132 00:09:14,241 --> 00:09:16,713 [Oscar] My sister got me on the amateur show here in Canada, 133 00:09:16,813 --> 00:09:18,116 and I won my division. 134 00:09:18,216 --> 00:09:21,656 And then came guest shots, and so forth, and so on. 135 00:09:21,757 --> 00:09:23,259 [announcer] Young Oscar Peterson, 220 pounds 136 00:09:23,359 --> 00:09:25,998 of terrific musical sense and piano technique, 137 00:09:26,098 --> 00:09:27,602 has been cutting a rhythmic, blazing 138 00:09:27,702 --> 00:09:29,471 path of success over the airwaves. 139 00:09:29,572 --> 00:09:31,342 A combination of Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, 140 00:09:31,442 --> 00:09:32,545 still going to school, 141 00:09:32,645 --> 00:09:34,214 he manages to make his presence felt 142 00:09:34,314 --> 00:09:37,522 on as many occasions that his homework will allow. 143 00:09:37,622 --> 00:09:40,226 [jazz music] 144 00:09:45,838 --> 00:09:46,940 [woman] How old were you when you first started 145 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:48,510 playing the nightclub circuit? 146 00:09:48,610 --> 00:09:50,280 [Oscar] Well, I started playing dance halls, 147 00:09:50,380 --> 00:09:52,618 I would say around 16 or 17. 148 00:09:52,718 --> 00:09:54,889 [man] Were you playing with any name bands? 149 00:09:54,989 --> 00:09:57,160 [Oscar] Yes, I'm playing with Johnny Holmes' orchestra. 150 00:09:57,260 --> 00:09:58,530 He's also my manager. 151 00:09:59,031 --> 00:10:02,437 [Johnny Holmes] That piano is the piano that Oscar Peterson played on 152 00:10:02,538 --> 00:10:04,876 when he started with us in 1942. 153 00:10:04,976 --> 00:10:07,447 When he came into our band at 17, 154 00:10:07,548 --> 00:10:09,451 he was a diamond-in-the-rough. 155 00:10:09,552 --> 00:10:12,224 He would blow everything in the first chorus. 156 00:10:12,357 --> 00:10:13,459 But I had a talk with him. 157 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:14,929 He criticized and, you know, 158 00:10:15,230 --> 00:10:16,365 praised, if it was needed. 159 00:10:16,465 --> 00:10:18,136 [jazz music] 160 00:10:40,714 --> 00:10:43,119 I had an offer from Count Basie, first of all, 161 00:10:43,219 --> 00:10:45,825 and he asked me, if I ever got to New York, to look him up. 162 00:10:45,925 --> 00:10:49,131 From my opinion, music is opening up in Canada and 163 00:10:49,331 --> 00:10:51,636 there's a much greater future on its way 164 00:10:51,736 --> 00:10:53,339 to all the young musicians in Canada. 165 00:10:53,439 --> 00:10:56,111 and I'd like to stick and be here when it does. 166 00:10:56,212 --> 00:10:57,915 [jazz music] 167 00:11:03,627 --> 00:11:05,396 [Quincy Jones] Everyone I knew had heard the rumors about 168 00:11:05,496 --> 00:11:07,535 this incredible, young piano player 169 00:11:07,635 --> 00:11:09,772 from, of all places, Montreal. 170 00:11:09,873 --> 00:11:11,710 Now, I must admit, back then, 171 00:11:11,810 --> 00:11:13,614 I didn't even know they had Black people in Canada. 172 00:11:13,714 --> 00:11:15,551 [audience laughs] 173 00:11:15,885 --> 00:11:17,420 Here's what I'm thinking, 174 00:11:17,522 --> 00:11:19,893 the first verse, maybe even, 175 00:11:19,993 --> 00:11:22,030 I don't know, just really light, 176 00:11:22,130 --> 00:11:24,636 I'm just, I'm not gonna do just one note, I'm gonna go like-- 177 00:11:24,736 --> 00:11:28,710 -[piano playing] -[humming in rhythm] 178 00:11:32,017 --> 00:11:33,887 ♪ ♪ 179 00:11:33,987 --> 00:11:37,260 I met Oscar when he first came to Halifax, 180 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:38,664 while I was living there. 181 00:11:38,764 --> 00:11:41,402 I think about him a lot, when I hear the music. 182 00:11:41,503 --> 00:11:43,439 Especially when I play the music. 183 00:11:43,540 --> 00:11:45,711 He came in. The plane was late. 184 00:11:45,978 --> 00:11:49,418 He jumped on the stage, he was playing solo piano, 185 00:11:49,519 --> 00:11:50,721 and it was amazing. 186 00:11:50,821 --> 00:11:53,125 [jazz music] 187 00:12:02,010 --> 00:12:06,720 After having succeeded at winning a CBC radio contest, 188 00:12:06,820 --> 00:12:09,124 after having getting a contract with RCA Victor-- 189 00:12:09,224 --> 00:12:11,462 like that was big time, in the day. 190 00:12:11,563 --> 00:12:15,470 When he was finally situated at the Alberta Lounge, 191 00:12:15,771 --> 00:12:19,077 he was heard by Norman Granz. 192 00:12:19,177 --> 00:12:22,017 [Russonello] Norman Granz takes jazz and he brings it 193 00:12:22,117 --> 00:12:25,524 into a realm of a sort of a signifier of sophistication. 194 00:12:25,624 --> 00:12:29,097 [man] Norman Granz, the originator of Jazz at the Philharmonic 195 00:12:29,197 --> 00:12:31,035 and the greatest impresario in jazz. 196 00:12:31,135 --> 00:12:32,772 Many years ago, when I was 197 00:12:32,872 --> 00:12:34,842 touring Canada and the United States 198 00:12:34,943 --> 00:12:36,579 with Jazz at the Philharmonic, 199 00:12:37,147 --> 00:12:38,817 I was told by Coleman Hawkins 200 00:12:38,917 --> 00:12:40,654 and Billy Strayhorn 201 00:12:40,754 --> 00:12:42,658 about a marvelous piano player in Canada, 202 00:12:42,758 --> 00:12:44,629 and I finally had a chance to hear 203 00:12:44,729 --> 00:12:46,833 Oscar Peterson in Vancouver. 204 00:12:47,300 --> 00:12:48,937 I was so unimpressed with Oscar Peterson, 205 00:12:49,037 --> 00:12:51,175 I didn't bother even to listen to him anymore. 206 00:12:51,275 --> 00:12:54,314 I must admit, I completely forgot about Oscar. 207 00:12:55,316 --> 00:12:58,155 ♪ ♪ 208 00:13:00,059 --> 00:13:02,698 ♪ ♪ 209 00:13:02,898 --> 00:13:04,836 Well, I was in Montreal then, 210 00:13:04,936 --> 00:13:07,007 I took a taxi for the airport, 211 00:13:07,340 --> 00:13:10,213 and the cabbie had his radio going, 212 00:13:10,313 --> 00:13:12,150 and I heard this wonderful piano playing. 213 00:13:13,085 --> 00:13:14,221 I thought it was a disc jockey. 214 00:13:14,321 --> 00:13:16,291 At the end of the number, I asked him 215 00:13:16,392 --> 00:13:17,862 if he could give me the name of the station. 216 00:13:17,962 --> 00:13:19,666 He said, "No, that wasn't a station. 217 00:13:20,133 --> 00:13:22,103 That was the Alberta Lounge, where 218 00:13:22,203 --> 00:13:23,974 it was a group playing, Oscar Peterson." 219 00:13:24,074 --> 00:13:26,579 And I very dramatically said, 220 00:13:26,680 --> 00:13:28,684 "Turn right around and let's go there." 221 00:13:28,984 --> 00:13:30,453 [Oscar] I said, "My God, it's Norman Granz!" 222 00:13:30,554 --> 00:13:32,625 And I couldn't believe that he's sitting in the lounge. 223 00:13:32,725 --> 00:13:34,662 He said, "I'd like you to take a shot at 224 00:13:34,762 --> 00:13:36,065 the American jazz market." 225 00:13:36,165 --> 00:13:38,002 He invited me to be a guest artist 226 00:13:38,102 --> 00:13:40,874 on the Carnegie Hall concert that fall, 227 00:13:40,974 --> 00:13:42,477 with Jazz at the Philharmonic. 228 00:13:42,745 --> 00:13:45,049 And I remember how reticent I was to even take you up on the offer, 229 00:13:45,149 --> 00:13:47,220 because I wasn't ready to play in that sort of league. 230 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:48,757 [woman] But you held out for a long time. 231 00:13:48,857 --> 00:13:50,360 Yeah, but it wasn't the right time, 232 00:13:50,460 --> 00:13:51,462 really and it was wrong. 233 00:13:51,596 --> 00:13:52,998 It was, I was really immature, 234 00:13:53,099 --> 00:13:54,969 personally, mentally, whatever way you want to... 235 00:13:55,069 --> 00:13:56,438 I was a kid of 13, mentally. 236 00:13:56,539 --> 00:13:58,409 A 13-year-old kid, their heads would be turned. 237 00:13:58,510 --> 00:14:00,748 You have to be pretty objective about yourself to say, 238 00:14:00,848 --> 00:14:02,518 I have to hone my craft and I'm gonna do it. 239 00:14:02,618 --> 00:14:04,154 Oh, I didn't say it, my mother and father said it. 240 00:14:04,254 --> 00:14:05,490 I was trying to talk them into it. 241 00:14:05,591 --> 00:14:06,659 -Oh, really? -Yeah! 242 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:08,095 But they said, "No, no, not at 13. 243 00:14:08,195 --> 00:14:10,701 We don't want you smokin' pot till you're... 21." 244 00:14:10,801 --> 00:14:13,406 I finally agreed to do it. He decided it should be at Carnegie Hall. 245 00:14:13,507 --> 00:14:15,611 He said, "Take your best shot and you'll know in one shot. 246 00:14:15,711 --> 00:14:18,215 If you make it, you'll know it. if you don't make it, you'll know that too. 247 00:14:18,315 --> 00:14:19,919 [jazz music] 248 00:14:44,669 --> 00:14:46,806 Actually, I was not supposed to play when I went down there, 249 00:14:46,906 --> 00:14:48,042 You're not allowed to play or work 250 00:14:48,142 --> 00:14:49,712 in the United States without a visa. 251 00:14:49,946 --> 00:14:51,549 So when I came through, one of the 252 00:14:51,649 --> 00:14:52,985 immigration officers, he said, 253 00:14:53,085 --> 00:14:54,454 "You're not planning to play down there, are you?" 254 00:14:54,555 --> 00:14:56,960 I said, "No, not me." "So what you coming down for?" 255 00:14:57,060 --> 00:14:58,797 I said, "I'm going to hear a concert in New York. 256 00:14:58,897 --> 00:15:00,166 He said, "Oh, okay." 257 00:15:01,001 --> 00:15:03,406 [jazz music continues] 258 00:15:11,155 --> 00:15:13,325 I went down for Norman Granz's concert there, 259 00:15:13,426 --> 00:15:15,129 and I even sat in the audience. As a matter of fact, 260 00:15:15,229 --> 00:15:17,701 my name didn't even appear on the program. 261 00:15:17,802 --> 00:15:19,271 He came down and got me. He said, 262 00:15:19,371 --> 00:15:20,774 "I want you to go out there and do your thing. 263 00:15:20,874 --> 00:15:22,076 Just go there and play." 264 00:15:22,845 --> 00:15:25,584 I said, "No wait a minute. I haven't been playing solo piano." 265 00:15:25,684 --> 00:15:28,255 He said, "Oh, I'll tell you what, I'll let you use Ray Brown.'" 266 00:15:28,456 --> 00:15:31,529 Up until the time Ray Brown and myself stepped on stage, 267 00:15:31,629 --> 00:15:33,265 we really didn't know what was going to happen, 268 00:15:33,365 --> 00:15:36,238 or what to expect, until suddenly... 269 00:15:38,977 --> 00:15:41,649 [audience applauds] 270 00:15:42,117 --> 00:15:44,454 [fast jazz piano music] 271 00:15:56,245 --> 00:15:59,284 [audience applauds] 272 00:15:59,919 --> 00:16:01,689 How would I have known about Oscar Peterson 273 00:16:01,789 --> 00:16:03,292 if it wasn't for Norman Granz? 274 00:16:03,392 --> 00:16:05,096 [chuckles] 275 00:16:05,196 --> 00:16:07,233 [Jones] I first heard about him because I was going to 276 00:16:07,333 --> 00:16:09,070 Jazz at the Philharmonic all the time, 277 00:16:09,171 --> 00:16:10,941 and I heard that Norman Granz 278 00:16:11,041 --> 00:16:13,145 was grooming some new piano player, 279 00:16:13,245 --> 00:16:16,285 who was 17 years old. And it was Oscar. 280 00:16:16,385 --> 00:16:19,024 [Bill King] He's coming from Canada. He's coming from Montreal. 281 00:16:19,124 --> 00:16:21,228 So he's coming in without the influence of 282 00:16:21,328 --> 00:16:23,065 the club scene in America. 283 00:16:23,165 --> 00:16:25,102 And I think that kind of shaped his style of playing. 284 00:16:25,203 --> 00:16:27,373 [Batiste] But then he also has the soul of somebody 285 00:16:27,473 --> 00:16:30,213 who grew up playing in like, down home blues joints, 286 00:16:30,313 --> 00:16:32,483 juke joints, speakeasies. 287 00:16:32,585 --> 00:16:34,221 Being a Canadian, 288 00:16:34,321 --> 00:16:36,659 and not coming up in that tradition, 289 00:16:36,759 --> 00:16:39,364 it was in his DNA somehow. 290 00:16:39,464 --> 00:16:41,435 You know, when he came out, it was just so polished. 291 00:16:41,536 --> 00:16:44,140 [Russonello] For Oscar Peterson to arrive into that 292 00:16:44,241 --> 00:16:46,078 as essentially a rookie, 293 00:16:46,178 --> 00:16:48,449 but somebody who was so deeply proven at home, 294 00:16:48,550 --> 00:16:50,921 it's almost like you're in the big leagues, 295 00:16:51,021 --> 00:16:53,492 and you're already known as an enormous star. 296 00:16:53,593 --> 00:16:57,066 And that set the tone for Oscar Peterson's career. 297 00:16:57,166 --> 00:16:58,435 All I know is that I wanted to play. 298 00:16:58,537 --> 00:17:01,709 I came to play, and that was my main intent. 299 00:17:01,809 --> 00:17:03,980 Norman Granz saw that and 300 00:17:04,247 --> 00:17:06,586 gave him a lot of running room. 301 00:17:10,561 --> 00:17:11,930 I guess you can more-or-less say this was 302 00:17:12,030 --> 00:17:14,067 the beginning of an international career. 303 00:17:14,167 --> 00:17:16,038 [jazz music] 304 00:17:48,803 --> 00:17:50,106 [Oscar] The following fall, 305 00:17:50,206 --> 00:17:52,611 I did the full tour of Jazz at the Philharmonic, 306 00:17:52,711 --> 00:17:55,082 and I believe that it's sincerely what launched me 307 00:17:55,182 --> 00:17:57,521 on the music scene in the United States. 308 00:18:10,079 --> 00:18:11,849 [fast jazz music playing] 309 00:18:17,561 --> 00:18:19,397 [Jones] They were the best players in the world, 310 00:18:19,497 --> 00:18:21,803 and Norman Granz took them all over the world. 311 00:18:21,903 --> 00:18:23,974 And crowds, everywhere they went, they went crazy, 312 00:18:24,074 --> 00:18:25,877 myself included. 313 00:18:25,978 --> 00:18:27,480 [Russonello] Granz had had this idea 314 00:18:27,581 --> 00:18:31,188 to bring these virtuoso Black musicians 315 00:18:31,288 --> 00:18:33,425 into the concert hall. 316 00:18:33,526 --> 00:18:36,164 It made going to the Philharmonic to hear jazz, 317 00:18:36,264 --> 00:18:38,503 a society activity. 318 00:18:38,803 --> 00:18:41,274 Jazz at the Philharmonic 319 00:18:42,076 --> 00:18:44,381 put jazz musicians 320 00:18:44,481 --> 00:18:48,022 on a national and even international stage. 321 00:18:48,122 --> 00:18:51,896 [Granz] We're happy to be back in Amsterdam for our annual concert. 322 00:18:52,196 --> 00:18:54,300 [audience applauds] 323 00:18:56,773 --> 00:18:58,175 The Oscar Peterson Trio! 324 00:18:58,275 --> 00:19:00,246 [piano music] 325 00:19:00,346 --> 00:19:02,518 [Granz] Jazz at the Phil had never been to Japan, 326 00:19:02,618 --> 00:19:04,421 and they had a parade, they had the whole thing 327 00:19:04,522 --> 00:19:07,226 down the streets of Tokyo, with the confetti and 328 00:19:07,728 --> 00:19:10,499 it was quite an auspicious occasion. 329 00:19:10,767 --> 00:19:12,771 [Oscar] I remember when we went to Japan, 330 00:19:14,174 --> 00:19:17,046 he made the announcement. 331 00:19:17,146 --> 00:19:19,484 I still can't believe this... 332 00:19:20,086 --> 00:19:21,088 in Japanese. 333 00:19:21,188 --> 00:19:25,229 [Granz speaking Japanese] 334 00:19:30,874 --> 00:19:32,678 On piano, Oscar Peterson. 335 00:19:32,778 --> 00:19:34,114 [audience applauds] 336 00:19:34,214 --> 00:19:35,316 [Oscar] We were all standing in the wings 337 00:19:35,416 --> 00:19:36,919 with our mouths open saying, 338 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:39,925 "I thought he was American!" [laughs] 339 00:19:40,026 --> 00:19:41,395 But that's how deeply he would get, 340 00:19:41,495 --> 00:19:43,566 and become involved in these things. 341 00:19:44,234 --> 00:19:46,238 [Ramsey Lewis] Norman Granz made sure that 342 00:19:46,506 --> 00:19:48,409 Oscar, and Ella, and all the other ones 343 00:19:48,510 --> 00:19:50,547 that was under his umbrella, 344 00:19:51,081 --> 00:19:52,885 were treated properly, were treated 345 00:19:52,985 --> 00:19:54,922 as well as classical musicians 346 00:19:55,022 --> 00:19:56,759 and played the best halls. 347 00:19:56,859 --> 00:19:59,464 ♪ It was just ♪ 348 00:19:59,565 --> 00:20:02,403 ♪ One of those things ♪ 349 00:20:02,771 --> 00:20:05,242 [Oscar] When you play, certainly on a show like Jazz at the Phil, 350 00:20:05,342 --> 00:20:06,846 it's a matter of competition. 351 00:20:07,113 --> 00:20:09,451 We traveled many times so much by bus. 352 00:20:10,052 --> 00:20:11,823 You know, Ella, Roy, 353 00:20:11,923 --> 00:20:14,027 Norman, you know Ray, 354 00:20:14,127 --> 00:20:15,997 Herbie Ellis, it was a family. 355 00:20:16,264 --> 00:20:19,204 And when Ella was singing something like that-- 356 00:20:19,772 --> 00:20:21,976 It was a beautiful afternoon, and she started singing. 357 00:20:22,076 --> 00:20:23,580 And next thing you know, 358 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,753 Herbie got his guitar out, and he started playing for her, 359 00:20:26,919 --> 00:20:30,226 and Ray took his bass and sat halfway in the aisle with the bass. 360 00:20:30,392 --> 00:20:32,263 And she was singing these beautiful tunes, 361 00:20:32,363 --> 00:20:33,700 and the sun was just going down, 362 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,271 and I'll never forget that scene as long as I live. 363 00:20:36,639 --> 00:20:39,612 But it was a family, and he wanted it that way. 364 00:20:40,346 --> 00:20:42,150 I'm thankful that I was fortunate enough 365 00:20:42,250 --> 00:20:44,187 to be able to hear all of these greats 366 00:20:44,421 --> 00:20:45,724 and learn from them. 367 00:20:45,824 --> 00:20:49,932 [Ella] ♪ Here's hoping We meet now and then ♪ 368 00:20:50,032 --> 00:20:52,069 ♪ It was great fun ♪ 369 00:20:52,170 --> 00:20:55,109 ♪ But it was just ♪ 370 00:20:55,209 --> 00:20:58,783 ♪ One of those things ♪ 371 00:20:58,883 --> 00:21:01,823 [audience applauds] 372 00:21:01,923 --> 00:21:07,768 [fast jazz piano music] 373 00:21:07,868 --> 00:21:10,807 [Russonello] The format of the guitar, the piano, and the bass 374 00:21:10,907 --> 00:21:13,378 was the one that he went to early in his career, 375 00:21:13,479 --> 00:21:14,715 when he first landed in New York. 376 00:21:14,815 --> 00:21:16,853 I had a chance to ask Oscar about that, 377 00:21:16,953 --> 00:21:20,594 and he said that Nat Cole was a big influence on him. 378 00:21:20,694 --> 00:21:22,263 [jazz music] 379 00:21:22,363 --> 00:21:24,735 His trio influenced my choice of sound 380 00:21:24,835 --> 00:21:27,473 when I formed my own trio with bass and guitar. 381 00:21:27,774 --> 00:21:30,947 [jazz trio music] 382 00:21:31,248 --> 00:21:36,759 ♪ ♪ 383 00:21:37,093 --> 00:21:39,732 That's about the time that Herbie Ellis joined us on guitar, 384 00:21:39,832 --> 00:21:41,969 and it really made a trio out of us. 385 00:21:42,069 --> 00:21:43,673 ♪ ♪ 386 00:21:43,773 --> 00:21:46,444 [Herb Ellis] It was really a trio that 387 00:21:46,546 --> 00:21:48,817 we were completely involved, 388 00:21:48,917 --> 00:21:50,620 musically and personally, 389 00:21:51,221 --> 00:21:52,423 [Ray Brown] So he, you know, he said, 390 00:21:52,524 --> 00:21:54,494 "Hey man, let's just get ours together and... 391 00:21:54,595 --> 00:21:56,766 so that it operates under any kind of conditions. 392 00:21:56,866 --> 00:21:59,905 And we want to be able to play any song and make it work. 393 00:22:00,472 --> 00:22:02,376 [Hancock] It was Ray Brown that influenced almost 394 00:22:02,476 --> 00:22:04,682 every bass player that I've ever met. 395 00:22:04,782 --> 00:22:08,422 [Oscar] I can remember the great feeling of exhilaration that I had, 396 00:22:08,523 --> 00:22:11,127 being able to call the tunes that I wanted, 397 00:22:11,394 --> 00:22:13,232 and to have them played exactly the way 398 00:22:13,332 --> 00:22:14,635 I wanted them played. 399 00:22:14,735 --> 00:22:16,506 ♪ ♪ 400 00:22:16,606 --> 00:22:19,043 [Ellis] Ray and I have often talked about that. 401 00:22:19,143 --> 00:22:21,448 We tried to play for Oscar. 402 00:22:21,549 --> 00:22:23,786 I mean, everybody wasn't out for himself. 403 00:22:23,887 --> 00:22:25,924 And we all got our individual solos, 404 00:22:26,024 --> 00:22:27,528 and Oscar gave us plenty of chance to play. 405 00:22:27,628 --> 00:22:28,696 But when Oscar played, 406 00:22:28,796 --> 00:22:31,334 we really played to make him sound 407 00:22:31,434 --> 00:22:33,472 as good as we could make him sound. 408 00:22:33,806 --> 00:22:35,744 [Branford Marsalis] Well, I mean, none of them worked 409 00:22:35,844 --> 00:22:37,146 as well as that trio. That was the great trio. 410 00:22:37,246 --> 00:22:38,616 One of the things 411 00:22:38,716 --> 00:22:40,787 that is very important in a band 412 00:22:40,887 --> 00:22:42,490 is that you have musicians who understand 413 00:22:42,591 --> 00:22:44,093 what their function is. 414 00:22:44,528 --> 00:22:47,133 I just think that Oscar Peterson was such a listener, 415 00:22:47,233 --> 00:22:49,337 such a person who could 416 00:22:49,437 --> 00:22:51,007 give it all to you on the keyboard, 417 00:22:51,107 --> 00:22:54,147 while also maintaining this incredible awareness 418 00:22:54,247 --> 00:22:55,984 of what was going on around him. 419 00:22:58,355 --> 00:23:01,461 [Lewis] Oscar would look back at, you know, Ray Brown, and Herb Ellis, 420 00:23:01,562 --> 00:23:02,931 and he was saying, "Don't drag it!" 421 00:23:03,198 --> 00:23:06,037 'cause Oscar liked to, he used to like to push the beat. 422 00:23:06,137 --> 00:23:08,475 What was he able to do was take the trio, the standards, 423 00:23:08,576 --> 00:23:10,479 and make the whole trio sound like a big band. 424 00:23:10,580 --> 00:23:12,416 [Oscar] We went into a Basin Street place, 425 00:23:12,517 --> 00:23:15,557 opposite a big band, a well-known big band. 426 00:23:15,657 --> 00:23:18,028 We finished our set, and the leader got up on the stand. 427 00:23:18,128 --> 00:23:20,332 He said "We don't know what to follow that with." 428 00:23:20,432 --> 00:23:22,003 [jazz music playing] 429 00:23:24,073 --> 00:23:28,115 ♪ ♪ 430 00:23:31,288 --> 00:23:35,997 ♪ ♪ 431 00:23:37,534 --> 00:23:39,972 Right after that, Herbie Ellis on guitar was replaced 432 00:23:40,072 --> 00:23:41,842 by Ed Thigpen on drums, 433 00:23:41,943 --> 00:23:44,915 and while we were in that period, we also did a bit of singing. 434 00:23:45,082 --> 00:23:46,484 [jazz music playing] 435 00:23:46,585 --> 00:23:48,690 ♪ What makes me treat you ♪ 436 00:23:49,490 --> 00:23:51,629 ♪ The way that I do ♪ 437 00:23:51,729 --> 00:23:54,802 ♪ Gee, baby Ain't I good to you? ♪ 438 00:23:55,235 --> 00:23:58,241 You also have to watch how you approach playing with the drummer, believe it or not, 439 00:23:58,342 --> 00:24:01,281 because most people think that it's complete freedom. It isn't! 440 00:24:01,381 --> 00:24:02,951 To the contrary to me, 441 00:24:03,051 --> 00:24:06,224 you have to then complement what the bass player is doing. 442 00:24:06,324 --> 00:24:10,232 [Ray Brown] After all of us being with Jazz at the Philharmonic, 443 00:24:10,332 --> 00:24:12,303 and now we wind up with that group. 444 00:24:12,403 --> 00:24:14,675 There's a lot of stuff that you 445 00:24:14,775 --> 00:24:17,179 have accrued over those years 446 00:24:17,279 --> 00:24:19,183 of playing with all those giants. 447 00:24:19,283 --> 00:24:21,722 And now this stuff can come out. 448 00:24:21,822 --> 00:24:23,960 [Hancock] Because of the kind of players that he had, 449 00:24:24,227 --> 00:24:26,131 his generosity and, 450 00:24:26,431 --> 00:24:29,605 allowing their sound to be 451 00:24:29,705 --> 00:24:32,209 so much a part of the sound of the band. 452 00:24:32,310 --> 00:24:33,278 ♪ ♪ 453 00:24:33,646 --> 00:24:35,382 [Russonello] That trio, essentially, 454 00:24:35,482 --> 00:24:38,388 sort of sets a new standard for being able to 455 00:24:38,488 --> 00:24:40,292 have this incredible amount of power, 456 00:24:40,392 --> 00:24:44,334 and a sound that really takes advantage of Oscar Peterson's 457 00:24:44,434 --> 00:24:46,438 ability to play all 88 keys. 458 00:24:46,539 --> 00:24:51,749 [bass jazz music] 459 00:24:52,049 --> 00:24:54,320 [Brown] Perhaps because this particular group 460 00:24:54,420 --> 00:24:56,625 melded so well, 461 00:24:56,726 --> 00:24:59,030 and we became so sensitive, 462 00:24:59,130 --> 00:25:00,700 one to the other. 463 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:03,472 This poster showed a picture of the three heads, 464 00:25:03,573 --> 00:25:05,042 but Oscar's, of course, was dominant, 465 00:25:05,142 --> 00:25:07,647 and it was like we were really inside of each other. 466 00:25:07,748 --> 00:25:10,520 That was the idea of the orchestra became an instrument, 467 00:25:10,620 --> 00:25:12,524 and each had a particular place, 468 00:25:12,624 --> 00:25:13,993 but it was shifting all the time. 469 00:25:14,460 --> 00:25:15,830 And he was the focal point 470 00:25:15,930 --> 00:25:19,203 because stylistically, as an arranger, he's incredible. 471 00:25:19,303 --> 00:25:20,573 There was a love in that group 472 00:25:20,673 --> 00:25:23,980 that I would have to say, showed in the music. 473 00:25:24,380 --> 00:25:27,019 We weren't afraid of anything at that time. I've changed now! 474 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:28,856 We may have been wrong, but we were strong! 475 00:25:28,956 --> 00:25:30,025 [both laugh] 476 00:25:30,125 --> 00:25:32,229 [jazz music playing] 477 00:26:08,836 --> 00:26:11,976 [jazz piano music playing] 478 00:26:23,833 --> 00:26:25,904 Solo piano and group piano, 479 00:26:26,004 --> 00:26:28,609 two totally different things. 480 00:26:28,709 --> 00:26:31,147 Because solo piano is a very free form. 481 00:26:31,247 --> 00:26:33,485 You can do almost anything, go anywhere. 482 00:26:33,586 --> 00:26:35,957 You can change key at a second's notice, 483 00:26:36,057 --> 00:26:38,529 where you don't have tell anyone what key you're going to. 484 00:26:38,629 --> 00:26:40,132 Group has to know. 485 00:26:40,232 --> 00:26:42,036 And if you pull that on the group, as I said, 486 00:26:42,136 --> 00:26:43,673 you're gonna be playing solo piano the next night, 487 00:26:43,773 --> 00:26:45,008 whether you want to or not! 488 00:26:45,109 --> 00:26:46,812 ♪ ♪ 489 00:26:47,781 --> 00:26:50,787 [Russonello] He has the ability to span across a whole lot of the keyboard. 490 00:26:50,887 --> 00:26:52,991 I mean, he's equipped to play the piano, 491 00:26:53,091 --> 00:26:55,162 in all sorts of ways, and he went there. 492 00:26:56,231 --> 00:26:59,370 [Hancock] His sense of swing, and melody, 493 00:26:59,470 --> 00:27:02,644 and just the sound that he would get on the instrument. 494 00:27:02,744 --> 00:27:04,113 And his stuff was funky, 495 00:27:04,213 --> 00:27:06,484 and it could be beautiful and tender, 496 00:27:06,585 --> 00:27:08,321 and all those different emotions. 497 00:27:08,421 --> 00:27:11,896 [slow jazz music] 498 00:27:16,337 --> 00:27:20,379 [Oscar] Playing to me, cannot possibly always be fun. 499 00:27:21,014 --> 00:27:23,018 It takes a lot out of me to play, 500 00:27:23,185 --> 00:27:25,690 so, I guess where it really is fun, 501 00:27:25,790 --> 00:27:28,128 is if it's a recording date, hearing the result. 502 00:27:28,228 --> 00:27:31,836 ♪ ♪ 503 00:27:31,936 --> 00:27:34,775 [Marsalis] My entree to Oscar was that record 504 00:27:34,875 --> 00:27:36,679 "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" 505 00:27:36,779 --> 00:27:38,415 and I listened to that record 506 00:27:38,516 --> 00:27:39,918 at least two times a day, 507 00:27:40,018 --> 00:27:42,022 every day for a year and a half. 508 00:27:42,122 --> 00:27:44,160 My dad showed me a Oscar Peterson record. 509 00:27:44,260 --> 00:27:47,166 "Au Privave" was on the record, "Scrapple from the Apple." 510 00:27:47,266 --> 00:27:49,938 I remember listening to those two tracks over and over. 511 00:27:50,038 --> 00:27:52,476 And I just wondered how he was able to make the piano 512 00:27:52,577 --> 00:27:53,880 sound like he had four hands. 513 00:27:53,980 --> 00:27:56,117 Just sounded like there was so much goin' on. 514 00:27:56,217 --> 00:27:59,558 [Joel] When I was a kid, those jazz records 515 00:27:59,958 --> 00:28:03,131 were really, really important to me. 516 00:28:03,231 --> 00:28:05,402 And I would play these jazz albums on, 517 00:28:05,503 --> 00:28:08,208 into the wee hours of the night, 518 00:28:08,308 --> 00:28:11,815 while I was still living at home with my mom, 519 00:28:11,916 --> 00:28:14,655 and she'd bang on the wall, "Turn that down!" 520 00:28:15,022 --> 00:28:16,892 I'd say, "It's Oscar Peterson!' 521 00:28:17,794 --> 00:28:19,030 [Russonello] He's somebody that 522 00:28:19,130 --> 00:28:20,800 people who've used him as an accompanist, 523 00:28:20,900 --> 00:28:22,269 come back to him. 524 00:28:22,369 --> 00:28:24,741 This ability to engage in 525 00:28:24,841 --> 00:28:27,012 ostentatious, virtuoso, 526 00:28:27,112 --> 00:28:29,751 just unbelievable playing, but also 527 00:28:29,851 --> 00:28:32,356 to be somebody that's actually a joy to work with 528 00:28:32,456 --> 00:28:34,360 and to be somebody that does not 529 00:28:34,460 --> 00:28:36,799 drown out his collaborators, 530 00:28:36,899 --> 00:28:38,703 is remarkable. 531 00:28:38,936 --> 00:28:40,640 At that time we were serving sort of 532 00:28:40,740 --> 00:28:42,276 as the house rhythm section for Norman, 533 00:28:42,376 --> 00:28:43,679 while he had Verve Records. 534 00:28:43,779 --> 00:28:46,084 And each player needs a certain thing. 535 00:28:46,184 --> 00:28:48,889 What we played, for instance, for Sonny Stitt, 536 00:28:48,990 --> 00:28:50,593 we could never play for Stan Getz. 537 00:28:50,693 --> 00:28:52,664 The way we played for Charlie Parker, 538 00:28:52,764 --> 00:28:54,467 we would not play that way for Benny Carter. 539 00:28:54,568 --> 00:28:56,705 And the intrusions you might pull off on Dizzy Gillespie, 540 00:28:56,805 --> 00:28:58,876 there is no imaginable way 541 00:28:58,976 --> 00:29:01,615 we would take these liberties for Lester Young. 542 00:29:01,715 --> 00:29:03,318 Oscar, on those records says everything 543 00:29:03,418 --> 00:29:04,721 that you need to know, 544 00:29:04,821 --> 00:29:06,725 and people that don't know, won't understand 545 00:29:06,825 --> 00:29:09,063 anything until they hear it. 546 00:29:09,665 --> 00:29:11,100 And when they hear it, oh, my God! 547 00:29:11,401 --> 00:29:14,040 If you put on an Oscar Peterson record, 548 00:29:14,140 --> 00:29:16,812 you know you're going to feel lifted. 549 00:29:16,912 --> 00:29:18,749 [slow piano music] 550 00:29:22,991 --> 00:29:26,699 Musicians like Oscar Peterson showed, that indeed 551 00:29:26,799 --> 00:29:29,236 there was a new kind of American classical music, 552 00:29:29,337 --> 00:29:31,407 and it was created by Black people in this country. 553 00:29:31,508 --> 00:29:37,052 [jazz piano music] 554 00:29:37,152 --> 00:29:38,589 This is an American idiom. 555 00:29:39,023 --> 00:29:42,162 This is an American art form. We invented it. 556 00:29:42,262 --> 00:29:44,935 If you don't know about it, there's a missing link 557 00:29:45,469 --> 00:29:46,805 in your appreciation of music. 558 00:29:46,905 --> 00:29:50,613 [Oliver] There's a way that Black musicians create 559 00:29:51,047 --> 00:29:53,953 that is at a different level, 560 00:29:54,053 --> 00:29:57,594 that's hard to harness and really box in and understand. 561 00:29:57,694 --> 00:30:00,165 So, as soon as you grasp one part of 562 00:30:00,265 --> 00:30:01,935 "Oh, this is what we're doing," 563 00:30:02,169 --> 00:30:05,275 we're working on doing something differently. 564 00:30:05,677 --> 00:30:06,912 And adding something to it. 565 00:30:07,012 --> 00:30:09,651 So, that constant changing and transformation 566 00:30:09,751 --> 00:30:11,889 is what has kept jazz alive. 567 00:30:11,989 --> 00:30:15,462 [slow piano jazz music] 568 00:30:20,773 --> 00:30:24,180 ♪ ♪ 569 00:30:31,962 --> 00:30:33,331 That's the beauty of jazz. 570 00:30:33,431 --> 00:30:36,104 It's in the moment and allows a person 571 00:30:36,505 --> 00:30:38,709 to express himself 572 00:30:38,843 --> 00:30:40,880 with a generous heart. 573 00:30:41,414 --> 00:30:44,053 [Oscar] Jazz is instant composition. 574 00:30:44,153 --> 00:30:46,157 That's the simplest way of putting it. 575 00:30:46,257 --> 00:30:48,629 I think, the origins, and the roots of jazz, 576 00:30:48,729 --> 00:30:50,533 belong to the Negro. 577 00:30:51,367 --> 00:30:55,142 But that, to me, is only a first instance. 578 00:30:55,242 --> 00:30:57,614 ♪ ♪ 579 00:30:58,883 --> 00:31:00,318 When I went to the United States, 580 00:31:00,620 --> 00:31:03,692 I'd go in the studio to do radio shows or television shows, 581 00:31:03,793 --> 00:31:06,999 and I look over at the orchestra and there wouldn't be any Blacks in the orchestra, 582 00:31:07,299 --> 00:31:09,705 and I knew, really, that it was a, you know, a clique. 583 00:31:09,805 --> 00:31:11,675 This is why Black musicians had to go 584 00:31:11,775 --> 00:31:13,111 the way of the jazz route. 585 00:31:13,211 --> 00:31:14,681 We had no other route to go. 586 00:31:14,781 --> 00:31:18,188 And I decided that if the only way I was going to make it, 587 00:31:18,288 --> 00:31:21,160 was to frighten the hell out of everybody pianistically, 588 00:31:21,260 --> 00:31:22,897 if that's what it took to get the attention, 589 00:31:22,997 --> 00:31:24,634 then I was going to do my best to do it that way. 590 00:31:24,735 --> 00:31:27,206 [soft jazz piano music] 591 00:31:28,876 --> 00:31:30,445 ♪ ♪ 592 00:31:31,582 --> 00:31:33,819 [woman] You used to play a lot of boogie-woogie. 593 00:31:33,919 --> 00:31:35,790 [Oscar] I think boogie-woogie just represents 594 00:31:35,890 --> 00:31:37,527 another transitional period in jazz. 595 00:31:37,627 --> 00:31:39,931 In boogie-woogie, you actually have complete 596 00:31:40,132 --> 00:31:41,467 separation of two hands. 597 00:31:41,702 --> 00:31:43,639 The left hand does something completely independent. 598 00:31:43,739 --> 00:31:47,079 It's not sympathetic rhythmically speaking, to what the right hand does. 599 00:31:47,179 --> 00:31:50,720 [Lewis] Oscar is so good because he plays all 88 keys. 600 00:31:50,820 --> 00:31:53,926 His left hand is just about as good as his right hand. 601 00:31:54,293 --> 00:31:56,230 A lot of piano players, they'd say this. 602 00:31:56,565 --> 00:31:58,501 Their left hand is not as good as their right hand. 603 00:31:58,602 --> 00:32:01,140 How do you comp for yourself? Your left hand. 604 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:02,744 You think about your left hand. 605 00:32:02,844 --> 00:32:04,981 [piano notes] 606 00:32:05,081 --> 00:32:06,618 [stomping and snapping] 607 00:32:06,718 --> 00:32:07,787 [piano notes and snapping fingers] 608 00:32:07,887 --> 00:32:09,356 It's like a big band that's playing 609 00:32:09,457 --> 00:32:11,494 [Joel] You would drive yourself crazy trying to figure out 610 00:32:11,595 --> 00:32:14,200 what he's actually playing. Only he knew. 611 00:32:14,300 --> 00:32:16,104 [Russonello] You hear Oscar Peterson and you hear this 612 00:32:16,204 --> 00:32:17,841 kind of ebullience, this kind of 613 00:32:17,941 --> 00:32:21,380 powerful warmth, that was his, 614 00:32:21,481 --> 00:32:23,017 you know, his alone. 615 00:32:23,619 --> 00:32:25,322 [jazz piano playing] 616 00:32:28,328 --> 00:32:31,735 Jazz brings out the inner-being of a player. 617 00:32:31,835 --> 00:32:33,672 It brings up a statement from the player 618 00:32:33,772 --> 00:32:36,712 that you might not get otherwise because they're out there taking chances. 619 00:32:36,812 --> 00:32:39,250 And I think, that's a very healthy thing for any player. 620 00:32:39,350 --> 00:32:42,590 When you see him play, you see somebody whose 621 00:32:42,891 --> 00:32:46,030 body is completely in command, 622 00:32:46,164 --> 00:32:49,170 but whose mind is a few steps ahead. 623 00:32:56,284 --> 00:32:59,256 [Joel] I'm trying to follow his fingers on his right hand 624 00:32:59,356 --> 00:33:01,327 and it was impossible. It was a blur. 625 00:33:01,427 --> 00:33:05,001 I didn't know that a piano could be played that fast 626 00:33:05,168 --> 00:33:06,538 off the top of your head. 627 00:33:06,638 --> 00:33:09,343 [Hancock] In my mind, I was like, how is he able 628 00:33:09,443 --> 00:33:12,316 to get all of that with those big fingers? 629 00:33:12,416 --> 00:33:14,220 [laughs] 630 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:16,558 I think a lot of young musicians, when they hear Oscar, 631 00:33:16,658 --> 00:33:18,562 they have to decipher it. 632 00:33:19,029 --> 00:33:21,200 There's a decoding that has to happen. 633 00:33:21,300 --> 00:33:23,204 It's almost like an expansion of your mind. 634 00:33:23,304 --> 00:33:26,812 You start to realize, "Oh wow, this is possible." 635 00:33:27,379 --> 00:33:29,450 [Oscar] My music is really an expression. 636 00:33:29,551 --> 00:33:32,924 It's my opinion, it is our opinions about certain tunes. 637 00:33:33,024 --> 00:33:35,228 And that's what I always say about jazz. 638 00:33:35,830 --> 00:33:37,232 It's an interpretive art. 639 00:33:37,332 --> 00:33:39,436 As a very dear friend of mine and a great musician 640 00:33:39,538 --> 00:33:41,975 in the jazz field, Milt Jackson, said once, 641 00:33:42,109 --> 00:33:43,712 "You have to be careful that you don't rehearse 642 00:33:43,812 --> 00:33:45,583 all of the soul out of the tunes." 643 00:33:45,683 --> 00:33:48,856 That means, playing them over and over and over. 644 00:33:49,591 --> 00:33:51,895 During a guest appearance, and I said, 645 00:33:51,995 --> 00:33:54,568 "Listen, would you run it down for the sound crew?" "Fine!" 646 00:33:54,668 --> 00:33:57,372 Went through it, in the up tempo, said, "Fine." 647 00:33:57,472 --> 00:33:59,978 "Would you do it once more for us, please?" 648 00:34:00,345 --> 00:34:03,117 "'Fine. Did it again. Three times?" 649 00:34:03,218 --> 00:34:05,222 Now, Ray's looking at me funny, right? 650 00:34:05,656 --> 00:34:08,829 Then by the time, you know, I finished the 17th playing 651 00:34:08,929 --> 00:34:10,566 for the cameras and so forth, 652 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:12,169 I told the director, I said, 653 00:34:12,269 --> 00:34:13,939 "You know, I really don't wanna play that tune tonight." 654 00:34:14,039 --> 00:34:15,475 [audience laughs] 655 00:34:15,810 --> 00:34:19,116 [man speaking French] 656 00:34:21,955 --> 00:34:24,561 [Oscar speaking French] 657 00:34:28,067 --> 00:34:30,907 [speaking French] 658 00:34:31,007 --> 00:34:34,413 [jazz music playing] 659 00:34:35,883 --> 00:34:38,454 [Lewis] It was as if he had his own metronome inside himself. 660 00:34:38,555 --> 00:34:42,229 Not a metronome that states, "Steady, steady, steady," 661 00:34:42,429 --> 00:34:44,768 As we all know, Oscar used to try to-- 662 00:34:44,868 --> 00:34:46,370 push the beat forward. 663 00:34:46,705 --> 00:34:49,945 If he decides that he's gonna pull a little harder on the swing, 664 00:34:50,045 --> 00:34:51,380 you're gonna feel it. 665 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:53,017 Adventurous. 666 00:34:53,117 --> 00:34:55,790 Nothing scared him. He'd try anything. 667 00:34:55,890 --> 00:34:58,328 [jazz music] 668 00:34:59,898 --> 00:35:01,668 How do I come up... 669 00:35:01,768 --> 00:35:04,239 with this thing you call invention or improvisation? 670 00:35:04,340 --> 00:35:06,010 I just happen to listen and echo it. 671 00:35:06,110 --> 00:35:07,814 It's the simplicity of the lines. 672 00:35:07,914 --> 00:35:09,818 First of all, if it doesn't reach you, you're in trouble, 673 00:35:09,918 --> 00:35:13,224 but if it does reach you, and if you can't come up with that, 674 00:35:13,324 --> 00:35:15,195 in some way, shape or form, you're not going to play. 675 00:35:15,295 --> 00:35:16,698 Well, the big trick with Matt, I always thought, was 676 00:35:16,798 --> 00:35:18,101 that he not only knew what to play, but he knew, 677 00:35:18,201 --> 00:35:19,169 -what to leave out. -To leave out. 678 00:35:19,269 --> 00:35:20,940 This was the big thing. 679 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:22,275 He'd have tremendous spaces 680 00:35:22,376 --> 00:35:23,912 -in his playing. -[piano music] 681 00:35:24,013 --> 00:35:28,354 His real genius as a pianist was smothered, so to speak, 682 00:35:28,454 --> 00:35:30,593 overshadowed by his great singing. 683 00:35:30,693 --> 00:35:32,462 ♪ I just found joy ♪ 684 00:35:32,563 --> 00:35:34,233 ♪ 685 00:35:34,333 --> 00:35:37,406 ♪ I'm as happy as a baby boy ♪ 686 00:35:39,476 --> 00:35:43,585 ♪ With another brand new Chew-chew toy ♪ 687 00:35:44,486 --> 00:35:48,394 ♪ When I met my sweet Lorraine, Lorraine, Lorraine ♪ 688 00:35:48,494 --> 00:35:50,398 [Oscar] He came in to hear me one night in New York, 689 00:35:50,498 --> 00:35:53,204 and he was amazed at the arrangements. 690 00:35:53,304 --> 00:35:55,141 He loved the arrangements we were doing. 691 00:35:55,241 --> 00:35:57,513 And he said, "I'll make a bargain, 692 00:35:57,613 --> 00:36:00,418 if you say to me, you won't sing anymore, I won't play piano." 693 00:36:00,519 --> 00:36:02,189 You know, I was gonna make that bargain with him. 694 00:36:02,289 --> 00:36:03,625 [chuckles] 695 00:36:03,726 --> 00:36:06,965 I love the singing too much. And his piano playing! 696 00:36:07,065 --> 00:36:08,802 ♪ Each night I pray ♪ 697 00:36:08,902 --> 00:36:10,138 ♪ ♪ 698 00:36:10,238 --> 00:36:12,610 ♪ That no one will Steal her heart away ♪ 699 00:36:14,346 --> 00:36:17,553 ♪ I can't wait until That lucky day ♪ 700 00:36:19,123 --> 00:36:22,563 ♪ When I marry sweet Lorraine ♪ 701 00:36:22,663 --> 00:36:26,203 ♪ ♪ 702 00:36:27,339 --> 00:36:29,376 You make a pact with the instrument, 703 00:36:29,476 --> 00:36:31,113 that you're going to play it a certain way, 704 00:36:31,213 --> 00:36:33,084 and you're going to talk to it a certain way, 705 00:36:33,184 --> 00:36:34,554 and hopefully, it will respond to you. 706 00:36:34,654 --> 00:36:36,424 [Batiste] Then there's the spiritual component of it, 707 00:36:36,525 --> 00:36:38,428 which is the joy of playing. 708 00:36:38,529 --> 00:36:41,200 No matter what he's playin', there's a sense of joy 709 00:36:41,300 --> 00:36:45,241 and connection to joy that comes through. 710 00:36:45,475 --> 00:36:48,515 That's what gave his music so much substance, 711 00:36:48,916 --> 00:36:50,318 because he was always giving. 712 00:36:50,519 --> 00:36:51,988 That's what we have to learn. 713 00:36:52,089 --> 00:36:55,228 It's not about the notes that we play. 714 00:36:55,328 --> 00:36:57,533 It's about the heart 715 00:36:57,633 --> 00:37:00,472 that's in the person that's playing the notes. 716 00:37:01,140 --> 00:37:03,211 [Oscar] I try never to take this instrument for granted, 717 00:37:03,311 --> 00:37:04,547 and the medium, of course. 718 00:37:04,681 --> 00:37:07,520 I look at this instrument as a new affair, 719 00:37:08,054 --> 00:37:09,657 every night, every time I play. 720 00:37:09,991 --> 00:37:12,997 Oscar Peterson revolutionized 721 00:37:13,164 --> 00:37:15,603 the piano by his technique. 722 00:37:16,003 --> 00:37:17,272 By the things he played. 723 00:37:17,607 --> 00:37:19,544 He reinvented the piano, really. 724 00:37:19,644 --> 00:37:22,249 If you haven't heard him, you're missing. 725 00:37:22,349 --> 00:37:23,451 You gotta listen to this guy. 726 00:37:23,552 --> 00:37:26,390 [fast jazz piano music] 727 00:37:32,302 --> 00:37:33,906 [audience cheers and applauds] 728 00:37:34,006 --> 00:37:37,045 [Russonello] Oscar Peterson had walked in fully formed, 729 00:37:37,145 --> 00:37:39,951 ready to play, traveling the country, 730 00:37:40,051 --> 00:37:42,623 completely celebrity status. 731 00:37:43,124 --> 00:37:46,397 [playful jazz piano music] 732 00:37:49,369 --> 00:37:51,641 ♪ I was walking along ♪ 733 00:37:51,842 --> 00:37:53,512 ♪ Minding my business ♪ 734 00:37:53,779 --> 00:37:56,885 ♪ When out of An orange-colored sky ♪ 735 00:37:57,052 --> 00:38:00,826 ♪ Flash! Bam! Alakazam! ♪ 736 00:38:00,926 --> 00:38:03,498 ♪ Wonderful you came by ♪ 737 00:38:03,599 --> 00:38:05,870 ♪ I was hummin' a tune Drinkin' in-♪ 738 00:38:11,046 --> 00:38:13,719 [Oscar speaking] 739 00:38:25,910 --> 00:38:27,747 ♪ Then the ceiling fell in And the bottom fell out ♪ 740 00:38:27,847 --> 00:38:29,584 ♪ I went into a spin And I started to shout ♪ 741 00:38:29,684 --> 00:38:32,623 ♪ "I've been hit, this is it, This is it!" ♪ 742 00:38:32,723 --> 00:38:34,727 Oscar, it must be a pretty nice feeling to be 743 00:38:34,828 --> 00:38:37,332 back home again in Montreal after your traveling. 744 00:38:37,432 --> 00:38:38,869 How long have you been away on this tour? 745 00:38:38,969 --> 00:38:41,340 Well, this last tour kept me away for four months, Fred. 746 00:38:41,440 --> 00:38:44,379 [Sinclaire] ♪ Flash! Bam! Alakazam! ♪ 747 00:38:44,479 --> 00:38:47,954 ♪ Out of an orange-colored sky ♪ 748 00:38:48,054 --> 00:38:50,926 ♪ ♪ 749 00:38:54,801 --> 00:38:56,337 Now, we'd always run over to London House, 750 00:38:56,437 --> 00:38:59,544 and up top, it said, "Oscar Peterson, now appearing." 751 00:38:59,644 --> 00:39:01,581 That's where I first heard Oscar. 752 00:39:01,681 --> 00:39:04,687 And that's where he blew my mind. 753 00:39:04,787 --> 00:39:06,591 [song continues] 754 00:39:10,666 --> 00:39:13,572 ♪ ♪ 755 00:39:18,314 --> 00:39:21,186 ♪ One look And I yelled "Timber" ♪ 756 00:39:21,555 --> 00:39:24,627 ♪ Watch out for flying glass ♪ 757 00:39:24,727 --> 00:39:27,365 ♪ Then the ceiling fell in And the bottom fell out ♪ 758 00:39:27,465 --> 00:39:28,936 ♪ I went into a spin And I started to shout ♪ 759 00:39:29,036 --> 00:39:32,409 ♪ "I've been hit, this is it This is it!" ♪ 760 00:39:32,710 --> 00:39:35,749 I was intrigued to hear you say that you're going to Tokyo. 761 00:39:35,849 --> 00:39:39,323 Yes, I am, Kevin. As soon as we finish the Continental Tour, 762 00:39:39,423 --> 00:39:40,960 which starts this coming Thursday, 763 00:39:41,060 --> 00:39:43,565 we leave the continent around the end of May, 764 00:39:43,665 --> 00:39:45,636 and we open in Tokyo on the first of June. 765 00:39:45,736 --> 00:39:48,241 ♪ ...Orange colored, Purple striped ♪ 766 00:39:48,341 --> 00:39:52,148 ♪ Pretty green polka-dot sky ♪ 767 00:39:52,249 --> 00:39:57,693 ♪ Flash! Bam! Alakazam and goodbye! ♪ 768 00:39:57,994 --> 00:40:00,465 ♪ ♪ 769 00:40:03,772 --> 00:40:06,912 [audience whistles and applauds] 770 00:40:13,525 --> 00:40:15,863 Sometimes it's hard for people to appreciate, 771 00:40:16,363 --> 00:40:18,802 how challenging it was to be a Black person 772 00:40:18,902 --> 00:40:21,373 in the 1920s, the 1930s, the 1940s, 773 00:40:21,473 --> 00:40:22,977 and frankly, to this day. 774 00:40:25,214 --> 00:40:28,020 [Marsalis] You did not have freedom of movement. 775 00:40:28,421 --> 00:40:29,724 You got paid significantly less 776 00:40:29,824 --> 00:40:32,295 for doing the same work that other people did. 777 00:40:32,395 --> 00:40:35,401 Coming down to the South, it had to be 778 00:40:35,769 --> 00:40:38,341 so shattering in so many ways. 779 00:40:38,441 --> 00:40:41,113 First of all, you had the signs that were saying 780 00:40:41,213 --> 00:40:43,317 no dogs or Blacks allowed. 781 00:40:43,619 --> 00:40:45,623 So the separate bathrooms, 782 00:40:45,723 --> 00:40:47,760 the separate water fountains, 783 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:50,498 the awareness that 784 00:40:50,599 --> 00:40:51,534 you were not welcome 785 00:40:51,635 --> 00:40:52,937 would be the first thing 786 00:40:53,037 --> 00:40:54,272 that would hit them. 787 00:40:54,674 --> 00:40:56,477 I think the worst moment of my life, 788 00:40:56,578 --> 00:40:58,180 was when I saw true 789 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:00,184 racial hatred for the first time. 790 00:41:00,552 --> 00:41:01,988 [man] How did that make you feel? 791 00:41:02,088 --> 00:41:03,090 Mad! 792 00:41:05,395 --> 00:41:10,739 [slow piano music] 793 00:41:21,961 --> 00:41:23,464 [Martin Luther King, Jr.] There are those who are asking 794 00:41:23,565 --> 00:41:25,602 the devotees of civil rights, 795 00:41:26,805 --> 00:41:30,078 -"When will you be satisfied?" -[crowd] Never! 796 00:41:30,178 --> 00:41:31,781 [King] We can never be satisfied 797 00:41:31,881 --> 00:41:33,719 as long as the Negro is the victim 798 00:41:33,819 --> 00:41:35,689 of the unspeakable horrors 799 00:41:35,789 --> 00:41:37,760 of police brutality. 800 00:41:38,662 --> 00:41:40,699 We can never be satisfied, 801 00:41:42,202 --> 00:41:44,139 as long as our body is heavy 802 00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:46,076 with the fatigue of travel, 803 00:41:46,811 --> 00:41:48,247 cannot gain lodging in the 804 00:41:48,347 --> 00:41:50,184 motels of the highways 805 00:41:50,451 --> 00:41:52,122 and the hotels of the cities. 806 00:41:52,222 --> 00:41:53,290 [crowd cheering] 807 00:41:53,391 --> 00:41:55,294 We can never be satisfied 808 00:41:55,395 --> 00:41:56,798 as long as our children 809 00:41:56,898 --> 00:41:58,635 are stripped of their self-hood 810 00:41:58,735 --> 00:42:00,572 and robbed of their dignity 811 00:42:00,672 --> 00:42:03,879 by signs stating, "For Whites Only." 812 00:42:03,979 --> 00:42:08,622 [crowd cheering] 813 00:42:09,022 --> 00:42:10,859 [Sadlier] "Hymn to Freedom" just meant 814 00:42:10,959 --> 00:42:13,264 so many things at that time, 815 00:42:13,364 --> 00:42:16,070 but it became the anthem 816 00:42:16,170 --> 00:42:19,911 for the civil rights movement in the United States, and across the world. 817 00:42:26,791 --> 00:42:30,198 ♪ When every heart ♪ 818 00:42:30,298 --> 00:42:33,538 ♪ ♪ 819 00:42:33,638 --> 00:42:37,345 ♪ Joins every heart ♪ 820 00:42:37,445 --> 00:42:38,782 ♪ ♪ 821 00:42:38,882 --> 00:42:43,424 ♪ Together yearns for liberty ♪ 822 00:42:43,525 --> 00:42:44,961 ♪ ♪ 823 00:42:45,061 --> 00:42:48,635 ♪ That's when we'll be free ♪ 824 00:42:48,735 --> 00:42:50,773 We were in studio, this day with the trio, 825 00:42:50,873 --> 00:42:53,512 at that time was Martin Luther King time 826 00:42:53,612 --> 00:42:55,582 and the protests, and the marches, 827 00:42:55,682 --> 00:42:57,653 and it was dedicated to that. 828 00:42:58,922 --> 00:43:00,491 I played the first chorus, 829 00:43:00,592 --> 00:43:01,694 then the second chorus. 830 00:43:01,795 --> 00:43:03,765 Ed and Ray joined me, 831 00:43:03,865 --> 00:43:06,136 and that was recording. Norman came back in, 832 00:43:06,236 --> 00:43:09,242 and said "Now that's my kind of music." 833 00:43:09,342 --> 00:43:10,579 ♪ ♪ 834 00:43:10,679 --> 00:43:12,983 And that's how the Hymn to Freedom was born. 835 00:43:13,083 --> 00:43:15,689 It came through him, it channeled through him, 836 00:43:15,789 --> 00:43:18,194 and that resonates with me whenever I hear somebody 837 00:43:18,294 --> 00:43:21,768 express it so unadulterated. It's so pure. 838 00:43:21,868 --> 00:43:24,540 Essentially, it's a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. 839 00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:27,980 and his approach to nonviolent confrontation, 840 00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:33,124 nonviolent ways of dealing with civil rights in the United States. 841 00:43:33,224 --> 00:43:35,428 [Marsalis] It has power because it's good. 842 00:43:35,529 --> 00:43:37,633 Sonny Rollins wrote "The Freedom Suite," 843 00:43:37,733 --> 00:43:40,639 Max Roach wrote the "Freedom Now Suite". 844 00:43:40,739 --> 00:43:43,344 It's a beautiful hymn, and that's why it endures. 845 00:43:43,444 --> 00:43:45,883 I see "Hymn to Freedom" as one of those moments in his career 846 00:43:45,983 --> 00:43:47,820 that we're lucky it was documented. 847 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:50,626 ♪ When men will live ♪ 848 00:43:50,759 --> 00:43:53,397 ♪ In dignity ♪ 849 00:43:54,132 --> 00:43:58,508 ♪ That is when we will be free ♪ 850 00:43:58,608 --> 00:44:00,111 ♪ Oh, oh... ♪ 851 00:44:00,211 --> 00:44:03,585 [Oliver] The beauty of "Hymn to Freedom" is 852 00:44:03,685 --> 00:44:07,192 starting so small and at the core 853 00:44:07,292 --> 00:44:09,597 of people's voice. 854 00:44:09,697 --> 00:44:14,206 With that spiritual and then Blues flavor to it. 855 00:44:14,306 --> 00:44:15,709 And that becomes the thread 856 00:44:15,809 --> 00:44:18,414 I follow through the entire piece. 857 00:44:18,515 --> 00:44:20,484 So it's ancestral. 858 00:44:20,586 --> 00:44:22,823 [Batiste] This guy was so serious 859 00:44:22,923 --> 00:44:24,894 in terms of his pursuit of justice 860 00:44:24,994 --> 00:44:26,664 and putting his life on the line 861 00:44:26,764 --> 00:44:28,768 and standing up in a way that was 862 00:44:28,869 --> 00:44:31,173 beyond controversial for the time. 863 00:44:31,473 --> 00:44:34,446 [Oscar] A little later, Norm thought there should be lyrics to it, 864 00:44:34,547 --> 00:44:37,953 and he called a lady by the name of Harriette Hamilton, 865 00:44:38,655 --> 00:44:40,491 who wrote some beautiful lyrics. 866 00:44:40,592 --> 00:44:43,798 ["Hymn to Freedom" playing] 867 00:44:44,099 --> 00:44:46,571 [Oliver] Music was, went hand in hand 868 00:44:46,671 --> 00:44:49,242 with those acts of resistance. 869 00:44:49,342 --> 00:44:52,716 Whether you were writing songs, or writing music 870 00:44:52,816 --> 00:44:54,921 with the intention of highlighting 871 00:44:55,021 --> 00:44:57,458 what was going on and also saying, 872 00:44:57,560 --> 00:45:00,298 here's how we need to move forward. 873 00:45:00,398 --> 00:45:03,437 And Oscar Peterson very definitely did that 874 00:45:03,538 --> 00:45:05,308 with "Hymn to Freedom". 875 00:45:05,408 --> 00:45:07,680 I don't mean to brag about this, but it turned out 876 00:45:07,780 --> 00:45:09,550 bigger than I ever expected. 877 00:45:09,650 --> 00:45:13,825 ["Hymn to Freedom" continues] 878 00:45:39,209 --> 00:45:42,081 ♪ ♪ 879 00:45:42,181 --> 00:45:44,587 ♪ ♪ 880 00:45:45,021 --> 00:45:46,724 It wasn't easy, man. 881 00:45:47,927 --> 00:45:49,462 It wasn't easy. 882 00:45:49,563 --> 00:45:51,099 You go downtown, 883 00:45:51,199 --> 00:45:53,003 and the hotel, 884 00:45:53,505 --> 00:45:54,974 "Sorry, we're full up." 885 00:45:55,074 --> 00:45:57,980 But you find out that they don't take Black people. 886 00:45:58,080 --> 00:45:58,815 ♪ ♪ 887 00:45:58,915 --> 00:46:01,219 When Oscar would be traveling, 888 00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:03,457 he would be denied 889 00:46:03,558 --> 00:46:04,994 the opportunity to join 890 00:46:05,094 --> 00:46:07,265 his fellow band members in the hotels. 891 00:46:07,365 --> 00:46:09,336 Probably the hotels that maybe they were even playing in. 892 00:46:09,436 --> 00:46:12,442 And so, what started to happen is that Norman 893 00:46:12,543 --> 00:46:14,212 chose to stay in the Black hotels. 894 00:46:14,312 --> 00:46:17,385 [Jones] This is when every place had white and colored, 895 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:18,989 to wait in the bus stations, 896 00:46:19,189 --> 00:46:22,028 and the water fountains all over America. 897 00:46:22,128 --> 00:46:24,332 You couldn't stay in a white hotel anywhere. 898 00:46:24,432 --> 00:46:27,506 ♪ And when every man ♪ 899 00:46:29,376 --> 00:46:31,748 ♪ Comes along ♪ 900 00:46:31,848 --> 00:46:34,954 ♪ And joins in our song ♪ 901 00:46:36,156 --> 00:46:38,695 ♪ Then together, we will sing ♪ 902 00:46:38,795 --> 00:46:41,768 ♪ In harmony ♪ 903 00:46:41,868 --> 00:46:43,672 ♪ That's when ♪ 904 00:46:43,772 --> 00:46:46,878 ♪ That's when we'll be free ♪ 905 00:46:46,978 --> 00:46:48,515 ♪ Yeah-ah! ♪ 906 00:46:51,086 --> 00:46:54,326 We get to Dallas, Texas. The sun's up. 907 00:46:55,595 --> 00:46:57,966 The biggest church in town 908 00:46:58,434 --> 00:47:02,475 has an effigy of a Black dummy hanging. 909 00:47:03,277 --> 00:47:04,145 Lynched. 910 00:47:04,479 --> 00:47:06,450 We landed at the airport, down in Fort Worth, 911 00:47:06,551 --> 00:47:09,790 and Norman right away looked to get Ella settled, 912 00:47:09,890 --> 00:47:11,393 "Fitz, you can ride downtown with me." 913 00:47:11,493 --> 00:47:13,598 They had a row of cabs sitting out there and he said, 914 00:47:13,698 --> 00:47:15,034 "Take this first cab." 915 00:47:15,134 --> 00:47:16,604 And there was a cop standing there, 916 00:47:16,704 --> 00:47:19,075 and he shut the door, he said, "Uh-uh, that's a white cab. 917 00:47:19,175 --> 00:47:20,746 She doesn't get in that cab." 918 00:47:20,846 --> 00:47:23,050 Norman said, "Who are you to tell us she can't get in the cab?" 919 00:47:23,150 --> 00:47:26,456 And the cop pulled his gun out and put it in Norman's stomach. 920 00:47:26,791 --> 00:47:28,160 He stood his ground! 921 00:47:28,260 --> 00:47:31,099 The policeman said, "You know something funny? 922 00:47:31,199 --> 00:47:33,404 I hate you worse than I hate those niggers!" 923 00:47:34,039 --> 00:47:37,846 And Norman said, "Sorry, she's on her way to the hotel. That's all that counts." 924 00:47:37,946 --> 00:47:40,017 [Quincy Jones speaking] 925 00:47:43,958 --> 00:47:46,564 [Oscar] We were playing a concert hall somewhere. 926 00:47:46,664 --> 00:47:49,069 I went to go into the men's room. 927 00:47:49,169 --> 00:47:50,739 Policeman said, "Where are you going?" 928 00:47:50,839 --> 00:47:51,708 I said, "I'm going to the men's room." 929 00:47:51,808 --> 00:47:53,243 "You can't. No, you can't! 930 00:47:53,343 --> 00:47:55,381 You have to go outside and use something else outside. 931 00:47:55,481 --> 00:47:58,420 So I called one of the guys, I said, "Go get Norman." 932 00:47:58,521 --> 00:48:02,061 Norm said, "I rented this hall to put on a concert. 933 00:48:02,161 --> 00:48:03,732 He said, "Well, I'm here to see that, you know, 934 00:48:03,832 --> 00:48:05,101 there are no riots, or anything." 935 00:48:05,201 --> 00:48:07,238 He said, "Fine, well then you go with the hall. 936 00:48:08,173 --> 00:48:10,645 As I own the hall, it's my hall tonight, 937 00:48:11,113 --> 00:48:12,415 use the bathroom." 938 00:48:14,553 --> 00:48:15,655 Life in America. 939 00:48:16,323 --> 00:48:20,064 ["Hymn to Freedom" continues] 940 00:48:22,803 --> 00:48:25,942 The other part about "Hymn to Freedom" 941 00:48:26,209 --> 00:48:28,915 is that it was the song 942 00:48:29,015 --> 00:48:31,353 that was sung by a children's choir 943 00:48:31,453 --> 00:48:34,660 at the first inauguration of Barack Obama. 944 00:48:35,094 --> 00:48:36,697 The choice of that piece 945 00:48:36,798 --> 00:48:39,703 makes a profound statement 946 00:48:39,804 --> 00:48:42,743 of culture, of history, 947 00:48:42,843 --> 00:48:45,047 and also of unity. 948 00:48:45,214 --> 00:48:47,151 Because we have tasted the bitter swill 949 00:48:47,251 --> 00:48:49,322 of civil war and segregation, 950 00:48:49,422 --> 00:48:51,527 and emerged from that dark chapter 951 00:48:51,627 --> 00:48:53,130 stronger and more united. 952 00:48:53,230 --> 00:48:56,002 The music then became the 953 00:48:56,102 --> 00:48:58,808 consistent act of resistance. 954 00:48:58,908 --> 00:49:00,077 ♪ ♪ 955 00:49:00,244 --> 00:49:05,989 ♪ And when every hand All across the land ♪ 956 00:49:06,657 --> 00:49:11,166 ♪ Joins every hand ♪ 957 00:49:11,901 --> 00:49:15,441 ♪ Then together we can mold ♪ 958 00:49:15,609 --> 00:49:18,447 ♪ Our destiny ♪ 959 00:49:19,750 --> 00:49:23,791 ♪ That's when we will be free ♪ 960 00:49:23,892 --> 00:49:26,062 ♪ Any hour ♪ 961 00:49:26,931 --> 00:49:29,035 ♪ Any day ♪ 962 00:49:31,339 --> 00:49:36,283 ♪ The time soon will come ♪ 963 00:49:36,383 --> 00:49:37,686 ♪ ♪ 964 00:49:37,886 --> 00:49:39,322 ♪ When man ♪ 965 00:49:39,990 --> 00:49:43,430 ♪ He's gonna live in dignity ♪ 966 00:49:45,100 --> 00:49:46,504 ♪ That's the day ♪ 967 00:49:46,904 --> 00:49:49,710 ♪ That's the day we all Will be free ♪ 968 00:49:49,810 --> 00:49:53,818 ♪ When every man, every woman ♪ 969 00:49:53,918 --> 00:49:56,256 ♪ Every child ♪ 970 00:49:56,724 --> 00:50:01,567 ♪ Joins in our song ♪ 971 00:50:02,268 --> 00:50:05,509 ♪ Can't you see it Can't you feel it ♪ 972 00:50:05,742 --> 00:50:08,548 ♪ Oh, sing it in harmony ♪ 973 00:50:09,082 --> 00:50:11,988 ♪ That's when we'll be free ♪ 974 00:50:12,088 --> 00:50:14,860 ♪ All over the world ♪ 975 00:50:14,960 --> 00:50:18,568 ♪ That's when we'll be free ♪ 976 00:50:18,668 --> 00:50:19,870 ♪ ♪ 977 00:50:19,970 --> 00:50:22,943 Stop killing Black people! 978 00:50:23,043 --> 00:50:27,451 ♪ ...we'll be... ♪ 979 00:50:27,920 --> 00:50:32,596 ♪ This is the anthem To the world ♪ 980 00:50:33,163 --> 00:50:37,205 ♪ Hold it tight Hold it tight! ♪ 981 00:50:37,305 --> 00:50:39,810 ♪ This is the gift from ♪ 982 00:50:40,044 --> 00:50:43,183 ♪ Oscar Peterson ♪ 983 00:50:43,685 --> 00:50:48,393 ♪ That's when we'll be ♪ 984 00:50:48,561 --> 00:50:53,437 ♪ Free! ♪ 985 00:50:53,538 --> 00:50:58,313 ♪ Oh-oh-oh! ♪ 986 00:50:58,915 --> 00:51:01,520 [song ends] 987 00:51:01,954 --> 00:51:07,198 [playing coda to "Hymn to Freedom"] 988 00:51:14,245 --> 00:51:17,318 [audience cheers and applauds] 989 00:51:18,788 --> 00:51:21,426 [applause continues] 990 00:51:22,896 --> 00:51:26,303 [man] Back on the concert circuit, anywhere from Tokyo to Paris, 991 00:51:26,771 --> 00:51:28,675 everyone wants to hear him play. 992 00:51:28,775 --> 00:51:30,144 Everyone wants to meet him. 993 00:51:30,244 --> 00:51:33,317 [jazz music playing] 994 00:51:33,417 --> 00:51:35,454 -Oscar could play, man. -Yeah, Oscar could play. 995 00:51:35,555 --> 00:51:37,425 That motherfucker could play his ass off! 996 00:51:37,526 --> 00:51:39,162 [both laughing] 997 00:51:39,262 --> 00:51:41,867 [jazz piano music playing] 998 00:51:45,341 --> 00:51:47,078 This son of a gun-- 999 00:51:47,178 --> 00:51:48,648 [audience laughs] 1000 00:51:48,748 --> 00:51:50,150 is a genius. 1001 00:51:50,585 --> 00:51:52,221 [jazz music] 1002 00:51:52,455 --> 00:51:55,027 [Joel] We were playing the Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens, 1003 00:51:55,127 --> 00:51:56,897 somebody says to me, 1004 00:51:57,131 --> 00:51:59,068 "Hey, Oscar Peterson wants to say hi!" 1005 00:51:59,168 --> 00:52:01,306 I said, "Yeah, yeah, sure he does." 1006 00:52:01,674 --> 00:52:02,676 And he was there! 1007 00:52:02,776 --> 00:52:04,546 He came to see me! 1008 00:52:09,055 --> 00:52:12,428 Oscar Peterson is a man who's blessed with great talent, 1009 00:52:12,529 --> 00:52:14,667 who's acquired tremendous skill, 1010 00:52:14,767 --> 00:52:18,273 and executed with... unlimited authority. 1011 00:52:18,373 --> 00:52:20,578 [Ella Fitzgerald] He's like a brother and a friend, 1012 00:52:20,679 --> 00:52:25,254 and one of the greatest that you'll ever meet. 1013 00:52:28,026 --> 00:52:30,632 [presenter] The best jazz instrumental soloist is-- 1014 00:52:30,732 --> 00:52:32,134 Oscar Peterson! 1015 00:52:32,234 --> 00:52:34,573 [audience applauds] 1016 00:52:34,673 --> 00:52:37,244 [man] Ladies and gentlemen, who else, Oscar Peterson! 1017 00:52:37,445 --> 00:52:38,881 [k.d. lang] The winner is... 1018 00:52:38,981 --> 00:52:40,284 "If You Could See Me Now," 1019 00:52:40,384 --> 00:52:42,121 The Oscar Peterson Four. 1020 00:52:42,221 --> 00:52:44,727 [audience applauds] 1021 00:53:02,428 --> 00:53:04,867 Oscar Peterson is probably 1022 00:53:04,967 --> 00:53:07,806 today's finest jazz pianist, 1023 00:53:07,906 --> 00:53:09,375 Mr. Peterson! 1024 00:53:09,475 --> 00:53:12,048 [Oscar] When I was awarded this great honor, 1025 00:53:12,148 --> 00:53:13,785 it meant an awful lot to me. 1026 00:53:13,885 --> 00:53:16,122 Because it means to me that 1027 00:53:16,222 --> 00:53:17,659 at least the country I live in 1028 00:53:17,759 --> 00:53:21,499 recognizes, to some degree, what I've been trying to do. 1029 00:53:25,174 --> 00:53:26,644 ♪ ♪ 1030 00:53:26,744 --> 00:53:31,921 ♪ ♪ 1031 00:53:32,021 --> 00:53:35,060 [Oscar] Being on the road with all the excitement and the... 1032 00:53:35,327 --> 00:53:37,364 people coming and going and the different 1033 00:53:37,465 --> 00:53:39,202 famous people that were coming to hear me, 1034 00:53:39,302 --> 00:53:41,372 and the things that were being asked of me, 1035 00:53:41,473 --> 00:53:42,876 "Would you go there? Would you do this?" 1036 00:53:43,343 --> 00:53:45,849 And the itinerary itself 1037 00:53:46,182 --> 00:53:47,552 that kept me on the road 1038 00:53:47,652 --> 00:53:49,990 was detrimental to a marriage. 1039 00:53:50,257 --> 00:53:53,096 I know one of my insecurities is that 1040 00:53:53,196 --> 00:53:54,767 I would like to be able 1041 00:53:54,933 --> 00:53:57,004 to try a normal existence, 1042 00:53:57,104 --> 00:53:59,576 without the pressures of 1043 00:54:00,144 --> 00:54:02,949 the competitive professional world 1044 00:54:03,383 --> 00:54:04,318 on my shoulders. 1045 00:54:04,419 --> 00:54:07,191 [soft jazz piano music playing] 1046 00:54:07,291 --> 00:54:08,928 I found out that the... 1047 00:54:09,830 --> 00:54:12,134 traveling the road is, is one of the loneliest things 1048 00:54:12,234 --> 00:54:14,005 in the world that somebody can do. 1049 00:54:14,205 --> 00:54:15,240 And it can be a very, 1050 00:54:15,340 --> 00:54:17,244 a very debilitating 1051 00:54:17,646 --> 00:54:19,883 experience from a personal aspect. 1052 00:54:20,752 --> 00:54:23,323 If you go out and have one hell of a concert, 1053 00:54:23,423 --> 00:54:25,995 there's a tingling, there's an excitement. 1054 00:54:26,095 --> 00:54:27,465 Who do you tell? 1055 00:54:27,566 --> 00:54:31,005 You're there with the four walls. It's quiet. 1056 00:54:31,406 --> 00:54:33,678 [soft jazz piano music] 1057 00:54:33,778 --> 00:54:36,015 [man] Obviously, you paid a price in your personal life. 1058 00:54:36,216 --> 00:54:37,485 Big price! 1059 00:54:37,586 --> 00:54:39,923 Um, depends on how much 1060 00:54:40,023 --> 00:54:41,392 you want one or the other. 1061 00:54:41,493 --> 00:54:45,134 Three unsuccessful marriages, I can call that a price. 1062 00:54:45,434 --> 00:54:48,306 And the trail... upheaval that it leaves, 1063 00:54:48,406 --> 00:54:50,612 there's a selfish factor to it also. 1064 00:54:50,712 --> 00:54:52,649 The fact that while this is going on... 1065 00:54:53,551 --> 00:54:56,256 in my life, I'm out doing this. 1066 00:54:56,524 --> 00:54:58,594 I felt guilty, I felt sick, 1067 00:54:58,694 --> 00:55:01,499 I felt immature, whatever. 1068 00:55:03,170 --> 00:55:05,040 Um... Not easy. 1069 00:55:05,440 --> 00:55:08,614 [jazz piano music playing] 1070 00:55:15,227 --> 00:55:16,597 It was lonely, 1071 00:55:17,364 --> 00:55:20,337 but music filled that gap for me. 1072 00:55:20,638 --> 00:55:24,078 The performance, playing with Ray, and Barney Kessel, 1073 00:55:24,178 --> 00:55:26,049 and Herbie Ellis, Buddy Rich... 1074 00:55:26,382 --> 00:55:27,552 filled that gap for me. 1075 00:55:27,652 --> 00:55:29,857 It didn't hurt being away as much. 1076 00:55:29,957 --> 00:55:32,394 When I leave for the road, I'm all business. 1077 00:55:32,494 --> 00:55:34,733 You know, I don't want to hear it about my home. 1078 00:55:34,833 --> 00:55:36,269 I don't wanna about what, I mean, 1079 00:55:36,369 --> 00:55:37,806 as far as thinking about that, 1080 00:55:37,906 --> 00:55:39,743 I'm primarily concerned with what I do. 1081 00:55:39,843 --> 00:55:41,814 When I come home, I don't want to hear about the road. 1082 00:55:51,165 --> 00:55:53,638 [all laugh] 1083 00:55:54,606 --> 00:55:56,844 [soft piano music] 1084 00:55:59,081 --> 00:56:03,056 ♪ ♪ 1085 00:56:06,997 --> 00:56:08,466 It's been amazing, just 1086 00:56:08,568 --> 00:56:10,437 in company of such great musicians. 1087 00:56:10,538 --> 00:56:13,544 It's unbelievable. It's important that I be present 1088 00:56:13,644 --> 00:56:16,349 and I show my admiration for Mr. Oscar Peterson, 1089 00:56:16,449 --> 00:56:18,320 'cause I'm such... not only a fan, 1090 00:56:18,420 --> 00:56:21,192 but just in awe of his musical talent. 1091 00:56:21,292 --> 00:56:24,332 "Love Ballade" says everything 1092 00:56:24,432 --> 00:56:26,770 without even having text. 1093 00:56:26,870 --> 00:56:28,941 So it's one of these beautiful melodies, 1094 00:56:29,041 --> 00:56:32,481 that stick with you and require nothing further, 1095 00:56:32,582 --> 00:56:34,686 but for you to breathe life into them. 1096 00:56:34,786 --> 00:56:36,590 The music speaks for you. 1097 00:56:44,438 --> 00:56:48,614 My parents were jazz fans 1098 00:56:48,748 --> 00:56:51,921 and listened to Oscar's recordings. 1099 00:56:52,555 --> 00:56:54,860 And actually, then the year that I graduated, 1100 00:56:54,960 --> 00:56:58,466 my mother, brother and I went to Oscar's concert, 1101 00:56:58,567 --> 00:57:00,638 which was just incredible. 1102 00:57:00,738 --> 00:57:02,542 So, little did I know that 1103 00:57:02,642 --> 00:57:03,911 four years later, I would meet him. 1104 00:57:04,011 --> 00:57:07,619 -[playing "Love Ballade"] -[vocalizing melody] 1105 00:57:09,823 --> 00:57:15,902 [piano and singing continue] 1106 00:57:22,749 --> 00:57:26,557 I had just become dining room manager at the restaurant, 1107 00:57:26,991 --> 00:57:29,529 while Oscar was playing a concert in Sarasota. 1108 00:57:29,630 --> 00:57:31,466 And we almost didn't meet because I didn't want to play 1109 00:57:31,567 --> 00:57:33,036 this one concert. I was gonna cancel it. 1110 00:57:33,136 --> 00:57:37,077 And I was really disappointed, because I knew I couldn't go 1111 00:57:37,344 --> 00:57:38,648 to the concert. I had to work. 1112 00:57:38,748 --> 00:57:41,620 Next thing I know, Oscar's walking in the door 1113 00:57:41,720 --> 00:57:43,924 of Charley's Crab. 1114 00:57:44,425 --> 00:57:45,662 I said, "She's really cute." 1115 00:57:45,762 --> 00:57:48,567 There was an openness about her, that I liked. 1116 00:57:48,968 --> 00:57:51,707 And I would stop and check on them periodically. 1117 00:57:52,207 --> 00:57:53,678 And he kept saying, "Sit down, have a drink." 1118 00:57:53,778 --> 00:57:55,648 I said, "No, I'm, I'm working." 1119 00:57:55,748 --> 00:57:58,019 So, he handed me a business card 1120 00:57:58,119 --> 00:57:59,322 with his phone number on it. 1121 00:57:59,422 --> 00:58:00,658 and said-- 1122 00:58:00,758 --> 00:58:02,394 "Why don't you come to New York on the weekend?" 1123 00:58:02,494 --> 00:58:04,633 And I thought, Wow, how charming. 1124 00:58:04,733 --> 00:58:06,870 So finally, I had to ask, 1125 00:58:06,970 --> 00:58:10,277 "Why do you keep asking me if I'm gonna come to New York? 1126 00:58:10,611 --> 00:58:12,882 What do you expect from me?" 1127 00:58:13,517 --> 00:58:14,820 He said, "You just seem like a nice person 1128 00:58:14,920 --> 00:58:16,724 and I want to get to know you better." 1129 00:58:16,824 --> 00:58:22,702 ["Love Ballade" continues] 1130 00:58:31,019 --> 00:58:36,496 I went to New York, that was July of 1981. 1131 00:58:36,597 --> 00:58:39,502 And then, I moved to Toronto 1132 00:58:39,603 --> 00:58:42,074 to live with Oscar in 1986. 1133 00:58:42,174 --> 00:58:45,782 ["Love Ballade" continues] 1134 00:58:52,762 --> 00:58:55,568 It was the tour right before we got married, 1135 00:58:55,668 --> 00:58:57,104 when I realized I was pregnant. 1136 00:58:57,204 --> 00:58:59,710 And I didn't tell him till we got to Japan, 1137 00:58:59,810 --> 00:59:01,747 because I didn't want him to make me go home from Europe. 1138 00:59:01,847 --> 00:59:03,584 I wanted to go to Japan. 1139 00:59:03,684 --> 00:59:05,187 I was happy. 1140 00:59:05,688 --> 00:59:08,259 I'm a... sucker for kids. 1141 00:59:08,359 --> 00:59:10,932 He was able to spend time with her. 1142 00:59:11,533 --> 00:59:13,369 She's also the only one of his children, 1143 00:59:13,470 --> 00:59:14,773 who he got to witness 1144 00:59:14,873 --> 00:59:16,309 when she took her first steps. 1145 00:59:16,409 --> 00:59:18,213 And she's the only one of his children 1146 00:59:18,313 --> 00:59:20,752 who was able to travel with him. 1147 00:59:20,852 --> 00:59:24,458 We went everywhere as a family. 1148 00:59:24,559 --> 00:59:26,262 He didn't tour without us. 1149 00:59:26,797 --> 00:59:28,199 And it was wonderful. 1150 00:59:28,299 --> 00:59:30,972 ["Love Ballade" continues] 1151 00:59:40,691 --> 00:59:43,798 He's been married three times, I know he's had affairs. 1152 00:59:43,898 --> 00:59:47,171 And I guess I was still a little apprehensive after 1153 00:59:47,371 --> 00:59:49,475 "D-3" as I call it. 1154 00:59:49,576 --> 00:59:51,713 What makes me think that this will be different? 1155 00:59:51,814 --> 00:59:54,519 And I proposed to her and she said, "Yes!" 1156 00:59:54,786 --> 00:59:56,757 It was just a sense that I had, 1157 00:59:56,857 --> 00:59:59,195 and a belief that I had that it was different. 1158 01:00:01,265 --> 01:00:02,267 Here we are. 1159 01:00:04,472 --> 01:00:09,148 ["Love Ballade" continues] 1160 01:00:21,472 --> 01:00:22,876 [song ends] 1161 01:00:22,976 --> 01:00:24,546 He wrote that one for me. 1162 01:00:24,646 --> 01:00:26,750 [laughs] 1163 01:00:27,251 --> 01:00:30,992 [soft piano music] 1164 01:00:31,092 --> 01:00:35,535 ♪ ♪ 1165 01:00:35,635 --> 01:00:36,937 [audience applauds] 1166 01:00:37,037 --> 01:00:40,912 I was playing too many events, working too hard. 1167 01:00:41,012 --> 01:00:42,447 It was a... 1168 01:00:42,916 --> 01:00:46,155 week at the Blue Note with 1169 01:00:46,255 --> 01:00:49,596 Jeff Hamilton, Ray Brown, and Herb Ellis. 1170 01:00:49,696 --> 01:00:52,802 Oscar came back to the hotel that night and said, 1171 01:00:52,902 --> 01:00:55,575 "Something's wrong with the pedal carriage on that piano. 1172 01:00:55,675 --> 01:00:57,411 I don't know what's going on, but, you know, 1173 01:00:57,512 --> 01:00:58,781 I missed a note or something. 1174 01:00:58,881 --> 01:01:00,985 And, and Brown was looking at me." 1175 01:01:01,085 --> 01:01:04,091 And Ray Brown came to me said, "You okay?" 1176 01:01:04,191 --> 01:01:05,661 I said, "Yeah, why?" 1177 01:01:05,962 --> 01:01:06,997 "You started missing that finger." 1178 01:01:07,097 --> 01:01:09,569 I said, "We're all human, right?" 1179 01:01:09,669 --> 01:01:11,472 Somethin' like that, and I brushed it off. 1180 01:01:11,640 --> 01:01:12,775 I didn't really think about it. 1181 01:01:12,876 --> 01:01:14,278 [Kelly] And he came back the next night 1182 01:01:14,378 --> 01:01:15,515 and said the same thing. 1183 01:01:15,781 --> 01:01:18,787 And then, the next day, which was their last day, 1184 01:01:18,888 --> 01:01:22,929 I noticed that he seemed to be having difficulty. 1185 01:01:23,029 --> 01:01:24,900 I just felt something was wrong. 1186 01:01:25,000 --> 01:01:27,739 I couldn't put my finger on it, but he, he wasn't feeling great, 1187 01:01:27,839 --> 01:01:29,843 and he kept saying, the pedal carriage. 1188 01:01:30,243 --> 01:01:33,082 I went to the Blue Note for the second set... 1189 01:01:33,182 --> 01:01:35,020 [soft piano music] 1190 01:01:35,120 --> 01:01:36,823 and I heard Oscar miss notes. 1191 01:01:36,924 --> 01:01:39,729 Something happened that, caught my attention, 1192 01:01:39,829 --> 01:01:41,399 and I bent over to Kelly, and I said, 1193 01:01:41,499 --> 01:01:44,506 "Something, something's wrong. Something's not right." 1194 01:01:44,606 --> 01:01:46,375 That had never happened. 1195 01:01:46,677 --> 01:01:48,647 I had never heard that before. 1196 01:01:48,747 --> 01:01:50,918 My wife was in the audience I remember, 1197 01:01:51,018 --> 01:01:52,789 she had a very concerned look on her face. 1198 01:01:52,889 --> 01:01:55,060 We talked and I said, "I think you need to see a doctor. 1199 01:01:55,393 --> 01:01:56,597 Something's going on." 1200 01:01:56,697 --> 01:01:58,199 He said, "No, no, no. I'm okay. I'm okay." 1201 01:01:58,299 --> 01:02:00,538 [Oscar] We finished there, and I came here, 1202 01:02:00,638 --> 01:02:01,974 for the Gould's Prize. 1203 01:02:02,341 --> 01:02:04,445 I knew I felt kind of strange at times. 1204 01:02:04,546 --> 01:02:06,315 You know, like, sort of-- 1205 01:02:07,117 --> 01:02:10,156 Wow, where are we? You know, but it didn't bother me. 1206 01:02:10,257 --> 01:02:12,394 And by that time, I was pretty convinced 1207 01:02:12,494 --> 01:02:13,764 that Oscar had had a stroke. 1208 01:02:14,699 --> 01:02:17,705 And in the program, they had it set up for me to play a solo, 1209 01:02:17,972 --> 01:02:21,345 and all I know is that my whole left side had seized. 1210 01:02:22,749 --> 01:02:24,385 I can't do my solo. 1211 01:02:26,790 --> 01:02:29,629 And... so he played, 1212 01:02:29,729 --> 01:02:32,200 and did that, and it wasn't until we got home that night, 1213 01:02:32,301 --> 01:02:33,938 that he finally just-- 1214 01:02:35,073 --> 01:02:36,843 Kelly said something, 1215 01:02:37,110 --> 01:02:38,981 she came to wake me in the morning. 1216 01:02:39,649 --> 01:02:41,085 I didn't recognize her. 1217 01:02:41,620 --> 01:02:43,389 I mean, it all kind of, he-- 1218 01:02:43,857 --> 01:02:45,861 collapsed and he just was, 1219 01:02:45,962 --> 01:02:48,433 said, "Okay, I'm ready to go to see a doctor." 1220 01:02:48,934 --> 01:02:50,236 It was scary. 1221 01:02:50,838 --> 01:02:52,074 And I spoke to Kelly, 1222 01:02:52,174 --> 01:02:54,980 and Oscar went to the doctor and was diagnosed 1223 01:02:55,080 --> 01:02:56,717 as having suffered a stroke. 1224 01:02:56,984 --> 01:02:59,388 Mentally, I was in deep trouble. 1225 01:02:59,488 --> 01:03:02,127 I was not happy to see each dawn, you know. 1226 01:03:03,129 --> 01:03:05,033 So it's another day, one of those things. 1227 01:03:05,367 --> 01:03:08,206 What now? That's when I was thinking of giving it up. 1228 01:03:08,941 --> 01:03:10,945 It got to the point where... 1229 01:03:11,913 --> 01:03:13,416 I wouldn't even listen to music. 1230 01:03:13,917 --> 01:03:15,588 Oscar always said, 1231 01:03:15,688 --> 01:03:18,827 "If I can't play the way I expect, 1232 01:03:18,927 --> 01:03:20,898 I'm not walking out on the stage." 1233 01:03:20,998 --> 01:03:23,937 I'm a reasonably devout person 1234 01:03:24,038 --> 01:03:25,541 and I prayed at different times 1235 01:03:25,641 --> 01:03:28,279 that I would be able to play again, 1236 01:03:28,479 --> 01:03:31,052 and I believe that the good Lord listened. 1237 01:03:31,152 --> 01:03:34,024 I must say also David Young, who I love dearly, 1238 01:03:34,124 --> 01:03:36,329 used to come out and make me play. 1239 01:03:36,429 --> 01:03:38,433 He'd come out, pull his bass out of his wagon, 1240 01:03:38,534 --> 01:03:40,503 and I said, "What are you doing with that? He said, "We're gonna play somethin'." 1241 01:03:40,604 --> 01:03:42,608 And I said, "I don't feel--" And he said, 'No, we're gonna play something." 1242 01:03:42,709 --> 01:03:44,078 And he insisted on it. 1243 01:03:44,178 --> 01:03:46,282 And we did, and he said, "I'm going to be in your face 1244 01:03:46,382 --> 01:03:48,954 every day, if that's what it takes." 1245 01:03:49,054 --> 01:03:50,591 And that's what brought me back. 1246 01:03:52,394 --> 01:03:54,833 And that helped so much, 1247 01:03:54,933 --> 01:03:57,471 because it lifted Oscar's spirits. 1248 01:03:57,572 --> 01:03:59,509 [Oscar] Between the understanding of my wife 1249 01:03:59,609 --> 01:04:01,278 and the love of my little girl, 1250 01:04:01,379 --> 01:04:03,449 I managed to climb out of that morass, 1251 01:04:03,717 --> 01:04:06,623 and finally went back to the piano. 1252 01:04:06,723 --> 01:04:09,094 The stroke was in May of '93. 1253 01:04:09,194 --> 01:04:12,467 In April of '94, we were in New York, 1254 01:04:12,568 --> 01:04:15,173 and he was in a recording studio with Itzhak Perlman. 1255 01:04:15,273 --> 01:04:17,745 So he made that recording, and then he felt good. 1256 01:04:17,845 --> 01:04:20,584 And he had four concerts booked for that summer. 1257 01:04:20,684 --> 01:04:24,859 So a year after his stroke, he was back out on stage. 1258 01:04:24,959 --> 01:04:28,567 [upbeat jazz music playing] 1259 01:04:34,078 --> 01:04:35,480 [audience applauds] 1260 01:04:44,231 --> 01:04:47,605 ♪ ♪ 1261 01:04:47,705 --> 01:04:51,378 I couldn't envision the fact that I would never, ever be able to play. 1262 01:04:51,713 --> 01:04:54,184 Ever since then, I hadn't catered to my left hand. 1263 01:04:54,284 --> 01:04:56,923 I just pretended whatever shape it's in, it's in. 1264 01:04:57,023 --> 01:05:00,029 He regained some. He never regained it fully, 1265 01:05:00,130 --> 01:05:03,369 but he did, because of being so determined. 1266 01:05:03,469 --> 01:05:06,910 However impacted his left hand was, it was still, you know, 1267 01:05:07,210 --> 01:05:09,949 thousands of times better than anybody else's left hand. 1268 01:05:10,049 --> 01:05:11,787 And no one, I don't think, 1269 01:05:11,887 --> 01:05:13,690 really ever would have known the difference. 1270 01:05:13,957 --> 01:05:17,899 His right hand was so amazing, you didn't even notice, how his left hand was! 1271 01:05:18,166 --> 01:05:20,303 [jazz music playing] 1272 01:05:27,350 --> 01:05:33,697 [audience cheers and applauds] 1273 01:05:43,049 --> 01:05:45,386 I came out on stage, and-- 1274 01:05:46,322 --> 01:05:48,560 they must have given me a five-minute standing ovation. 1275 01:05:48,660 --> 01:05:50,831 I remember Norman put his arms around me from behind. 1276 01:05:50,931 --> 01:05:52,400 I was sitting at the table, and he said, 1277 01:05:52,501 --> 01:05:53,971 "I just want you to know, I'm very proud of you. 1278 01:05:54,071 --> 01:05:55,841 I've never been that proud of you. 1279 01:05:55,941 --> 01:05:57,410 To see you do what you did tonight." 1280 01:05:57,512 --> 01:05:59,883 I saw brother Oscar in the Blue Note 1281 01:05:59,983 --> 01:06:02,087 in New York right after he had his stroke. 1282 01:06:02,187 --> 01:06:04,158 He playin' the piano with one arm! 1283 01:06:04,726 --> 01:06:06,963 And you listen to it, it looks like it's three arms working! 1284 01:06:07,063 --> 01:06:09,636 And you say, "Oh, my God, what genius, 1285 01:06:09,736 --> 01:06:10,771 Canada's somethin' else!" 1286 01:06:10,871 --> 01:06:12,942 [jazz piano playing] 1287 01:06:15,648 --> 01:06:18,119 ♪ ♪ 1288 01:06:23,229 --> 01:06:25,233 You are now to assume the function 1289 01:06:25,333 --> 01:06:27,605 of Chancellor of York University. 1290 01:06:27,705 --> 01:06:32,080 [audience applauds] 1291 01:06:32,180 --> 01:06:34,184 Dr. Oscar Emmanuel Peterson! 1292 01:06:34,284 --> 01:06:38,627 [audience applauds] 1293 01:06:38,727 --> 01:06:42,602 ["I Got Rhythm" continues] 1294 01:06:53,557 --> 01:06:54,759 A new elementary school, 1295 01:06:54,859 --> 01:06:56,563 that's been given a giant of a name. 1296 01:06:56,663 --> 01:07:00,336 It will be called Oscar Peterson Public School. 1297 01:07:00,436 --> 01:07:03,009 On behalf of Toronto City Council, 1298 01:07:03,109 --> 01:07:07,183 do hereby proclaim June 22nd, 2004 1299 01:07:07,284 --> 01:07:10,056 as Oscar Peterson Day in the City of Toronto. 1300 01:07:10,156 --> 01:07:12,193 [cheers, applause] 1301 01:07:12,294 --> 01:07:15,433 ["I Got Rhythm" continues] 1302 01:07:26,723 --> 01:07:28,994 [speaking French] 1303 01:07:29,094 --> 01:07:30,664 Mr. Oscar Peterson! 1304 01:07:31,265 --> 01:07:35,139 [cheers, applause] 1305 01:07:35,240 --> 01:07:39,616 ["I Got Rhythm" continues] 1306 01:07:39,716 --> 01:07:41,018 ♪ ♪ 1307 01:07:41,352 --> 01:07:45,093 In 2002, for Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee, 1308 01:07:45,193 --> 01:07:46,696 there was a big concert. 1309 01:07:46,796 --> 01:07:48,399 Oscar's Quartet was one of the 1310 01:07:48,499 --> 01:07:50,604 performing groups on the bill. 1311 01:07:50,871 --> 01:07:52,942 It's a real pleasure to have you here in Canada with us. 1312 01:07:53,042 --> 01:07:54,545 -[audience applauds] -Thank you for coming. 1313 01:07:54,812 --> 01:07:56,516 [audience applauds] 1314 01:07:57,450 --> 01:08:00,858 ["I Got Rhythm" continues] 1315 01:08:00,958 --> 01:08:05,166 ♪ ♪ 1316 01:08:11,579 --> 01:08:14,251 We found out that there was an Oscar stamp in Austria. 1317 01:08:14,351 --> 01:08:16,388 This guy defines Canada, 1318 01:08:16,488 --> 01:08:18,392 so we proceeded to campaign 1319 01:08:18,492 --> 01:08:21,298 to bring his stamp, on his 80th birthday in Toronto. 1320 01:08:21,398 --> 01:08:23,637 ["I Got Rhythm" continues] 1321 01:08:34,759 --> 01:08:37,965 He had the idea of recording in Vienna. 1322 01:08:38,299 --> 01:08:41,038 So we asked if we could co-produce it with him, 1323 01:08:41,138 --> 01:08:44,946 and at the time, make a DVD of the recording, 1324 01:08:45,446 --> 01:08:47,050 and an album of the recording. 1325 01:08:47,150 --> 01:08:49,822 ["I Got Rhythm" plays] 1326 01:08:51,492 --> 01:08:53,930 The fact that they went out as companion pieces 1327 01:08:54,031 --> 01:08:55,266 made all the difference in the world. 1328 01:08:55,366 --> 01:08:57,437 In fact, we ended up going platinum. 1329 01:08:59,007 --> 01:09:02,080 Everything we had done in our development of our relationship 1330 01:09:02,180 --> 01:09:03,316 for the last seven or eight years 1331 01:09:03,416 --> 01:09:06,523 culminated in that very moment. 1332 01:09:06,623 --> 01:09:11,231 -["I Got Rhythm" continues] -[audience applauds] 1333 01:09:11,332 --> 01:09:15,641 -[song ends] -[audience applauds] 1334 01:09:18,212 --> 01:09:21,886 [audience cheers and applauds] 1335 01:09:28,967 --> 01:09:31,573 [soft piano music playing] 1336 01:09:34,478 --> 01:09:37,384 ♪ ♪ 1337 01:09:39,756 --> 01:09:41,826 ♪ ♪ 1338 01:09:41,926 --> 01:09:43,663 It was early December, I guess, 1339 01:09:43,764 --> 01:09:45,466 and I started worrying that he was getting pneumonia again, 1340 01:09:45,567 --> 01:09:47,938 because he had a very bad cough. 1341 01:09:48,039 --> 01:09:50,276 We would talk on the phone, and it was very clear 1342 01:09:50,376 --> 01:09:51,780 that he wasn't right. 1343 01:09:51,880 --> 01:09:54,317 He had been sick for a while, and it became evident 1344 01:09:54,418 --> 01:09:56,790 in ways that were very painful. 1345 01:09:57,057 --> 01:09:58,325 [soft piano music] 1346 01:09:58,426 --> 01:10:03,637 And he was, you know, not, not doing very well. 1347 01:10:04,271 --> 01:10:05,674 So I called the doctor. 1348 01:10:05,874 --> 01:10:07,243 Oscar was still in bed. 1349 01:10:07,343 --> 01:10:09,649 And she came upstairs and sat and talked to him, 1350 01:10:09,749 --> 01:10:11,385 and he sat up and talked 1351 01:10:11,485 --> 01:10:13,824 and she said, "You know, Kelly's worried about you. 1352 01:10:13,924 --> 01:10:17,397 So what do you think, you want to get dressed and go downstairs?" 1353 01:10:17,497 --> 01:10:19,034 And he said, "Yeah, okay." 1354 01:10:19,301 --> 01:10:20,403 We had a good week. 1355 01:10:20,804 --> 01:10:23,175 Our wedding anniversary, all of that. 1356 01:10:23,275 --> 01:10:25,514 And then, I went to bed 1357 01:10:25,614 --> 01:10:27,685 and then I could hear him struggling. 1358 01:10:27,785 --> 01:10:30,389 And he died very early in the morning. 1359 01:10:32,193 --> 01:10:34,397 It was, you know, pretty awful. 1360 01:10:35,333 --> 01:10:37,070 I was glad I was there. 1361 01:10:37,403 --> 01:10:39,942 I was glad I was right with him. 1362 01:10:40,042 --> 01:10:42,280 The hard part was... 1363 01:10:43,449 --> 01:10:45,521 when I woke up and there was silence. 1364 01:10:46,856 --> 01:10:48,125 I don't want to get up. 1365 01:10:48,259 --> 01:10:50,163 I don't want to turn a light on. 1366 01:10:50,531 --> 01:10:52,300 I don't want it to be real. 1367 01:10:54,004 --> 01:10:56,743 I don't want to go wake Celine up and tell her. 1368 01:10:59,414 --> 01:11:01,151 I woke her up and 1369 01:11:01,251 --> 01:11:03,255 she came and stood in the doorway. 1370 01:11:03,523 --> 01:11:05,961 And she said, "No, Mom. He's just sleeping." 1371 01:11:07,230 --> 01:11:08,365 And I said, 1372 01:11:09,301 --> 01:11:10,838 "He's not just sleeping." 1373 01:11:11,371 --> 01:11:13,442 Our boxer went in the bedroom, went over, 1374 01:11:13,543 --> 01:11:15,914 and was licking Oscars hand, 1375 01:11:16,014 --> 01:11:17,852 that was at the edge of the bed, 1376 01:11:17,952 --> 01:11:19,421 and Oscar didn't wake up. 1377 01:11:19,522 --> 01:11:21,091 And Celine was saying, "He's gonna to wake up. 1378 01:11:21,191 --> 01:11:22,728 He's gonna wake up." 1379 01:11:22,828 --> 01:11:26,335 And then Smedley started licking Oscar's face-- 1380 01:11:27,638 --> 01:11:29,575 And Oscar didn't wake up. 1381 01:11:30,143 --> 01:11:31,513 And then Smedley jumped 1382 01:11:31,613 --> 01:11:34,217 right on top of Oscar. 1383 01:11:34,552 --> 01:11:38,225 This, you know, 75-pound boxer, 1384 01:11:38,325 --> 01:11:39,929 and that's when Celine knew... 1385 01:11:41,231 --> 01:11:42,735 that he really was gone. 1386 01:11:43,970 --> 01:11:47,511 I picked up the phone, and Celine said, "He's gone." 1387 01:11:51,084 --> 01:11:52,320 I miss him. 1388 01:11:57,063 --> 01:11:58,065 Oh, yeah. 1389 01:11:59,802 --> 01:12:00,838 [whispers] Yeah. 1390 01:12:00,938 --> 01:12:02,541 [soft music playing] 1391 01:12:04,712 --> 01:12:07,350 There's so much, you know, to miss. 1392 01:12:08,987 --> 01:12:10,824 The laughter and... 1393 01:12:16,936 --> 01:12:18,540 zest for life. 1394 01:12:22,581 --> 01:12:25,052 Tonight we report on the passing of a music legend, 1395 01:12:25,152 --> 01:12:27,090 Jazz great Oscar Peterson 1396 01:12:27,190 --> 01:12:28,894 has died at his home in Canada. 1397 01:12:28,994 --> 01:12:31,866 [in German] The jazz legend, Oscar Peterson is dead. 1398 01:12:31,966 --> 01:12:35,373 [in French] The Montreal pianist Oscar Peterson died yesterday. 1399 01:12:35,473 --> 01:12:36,809 He was 82. 1400 01:12:36,910 --> 01:12:38,747 [woman newscaster] Oscar Peterson is being remembered 1401 01:12:38,847 --> 01:12:41,385 as one of the greatest jazz pianists of his generation, 1402 01:12:41,485 --> 01:12:45,493 [speaking Danish] 1403 01:12:58,319 --> 01:13:01,859 ♪ ♪ 1404 01:13:09,241 --> 01:13:11,245 [song ends] 1405 01:13:11,345 --> 01:13:14,685 [audience applauds] 1406 01:13:17,457 --> 01:13:20,597 ♪ This was a lovely way ♪ 1407 01:13:23,502 --> 01:13:25,841 ♪ To spend an evening ♪ 1408 01:13:28,178 --> 01:13:30,182 ♪ Can't think of anything ♪ 1409 01:13:30,283 --> 01:13:32,086 ♪ ♪ 1410 01:13:32,186 --> 01:13:34,592 ♪ I'd rather do ♪ 1411 01:13:34,692 --> 01:13:36,228 ♪ ♪ 1412 01:13:36,328 --> 01:13:38,198 Oscar Peterson got a send-off today, 1413 01:13:38,299 --> 01:13:39,969 rarely seen in this country. 1414 01:13:40,069 --> 01:13:42,206 There was a special tribute concert in Toronto, 1415 01:13:42,307 --> 01:13:43,342 broadcast live. 1416 01:13:43,643 --> 01:13:45,446 When I first saw Oscar, 1417 01:13:45,547 --> 01:13:47,150 it would be equivalent to U2 1418 01:13:47,250 --> 01:13:48,787 and the Stones comin' to town. 1419 01:13:48,887 --> 01:13:50,691 It's a real Canadian story, you know, 1420 01:13:50,791 --> 01:13:53,162 a kid from Saint-Henri in Montreal, 1421 01:13:53,262 --> 01:13:54,397 and went on to become the 1422 01:13:54,497 --> 01:13:56,602 greatest jazz pianist in the world! 1423 01:13:56,703 --> 01:13:58,640 So I owe him everything, and he's irreplaceable! 1424 01:13:58,740 --> 01:14:01,879 Oscar Peterson has left an indelible mark 1425 01:14:01,980 --> 01:14:03,248 on the cultural heritage 1426 01:14:03,349 --> 01:14:04,885 of the entire world. 1427 01:14:04,986 --> 01:14:08,492 [applause] 1428 01:14:14,070 --> 01:14:17,745 ♪ ♪ 1429 01:14:17,845 --> 01:14:20,651 His legacy will outlive all of us. 1430 01:14:20,751 --> 01:14:22,120 I'm certain of that. 1431 01:14:22,220 --> 01:14:25,226 [reporter] Parliament Hill is sprinkled with statues 1432 01:14:25,326 --> 01:14:27,030 of past prime ministers, 1433 01:14:27,130 --> 01:14:30,537 but just down the street there's a new guy in town, 1434 01:14:30,637 --> 01:14:33,943 and Oscar Peterson's already stealing the show, 1435 01:14:34,044 --> 01:14:36,381 just like he always did. 1436 01:14:36,783 --> 01:14:38,185 The Bosendorfer technician 1437 01:14:38,285 --> 01:14:40,056 came from Vienna, and said, 1438 01:14:40,156 --> 01:14:42,928 "I want to come and look after Mr. Peterson's piano for you." 1439 01:14:43,028 --> 01:14:44,765 So he came, he said, 1440 01:14:44,865 --> 01:14:47,036 "The piano is in wonderful condition, 1441 01:14:47,136 --> 01:14:49,107 but it needs to be played." 1442 01:14:49,508 --> 01:14:51,244 Then the idea came, 1443 01:14:51,345 --> 01:14:53,983 what if I invite other pianists 1444 01:14:54,084 --> 01:14:55,019 to come here and play 1445 01:14:55,119 --> 01:14:58,025 Oscar's compositions on Oscar's piano? 1446 01:14:58,292 --> 01:15:01,498 And then we launched with a concert on this very stage. 1447 01:15:01,599 --> 01:15:03,770 And the audiences love it. 1448 01:15:03,870 --> 01:15:06,074 We've sold out every single concert. 1449 01:15:06,174 --> 01:15:08,445 And to me, that's people coming 1450 01:15:08,546 --> 01:15:10,016 because it's Oscar's music. 1451 01:15:10,116 --> 01:15:13,222 [piano music playing] 1452 01:15:13,322 --> 01:15:16,261 [audience applauds] 1453 01:15:19,702 --> 01:15:22,206 I'm truly honored to be standing here tonight, 1454 01:15:22,306 --> 01:15:25,146 accepting this very special honor for my father. 1455 01:15:25,246 --> 01:15:28,853 Dad said, "I've always wanted to feel wanted at home. 1456 01:15:28,953 --> 01:15:31,425 I've always wanted to feel respected at home, 1457 01:15:31,759 --> 01:15:34,899 and I've always wanted to feel honored at home." 1458 01:15:34,999 --> 01:15:38,472 Well, Dad, you are, and we love you. 1459 01:15:38,573 --> 01:15:39,542 Thank you so much. 1460 01:15:39,642 --> 01:15:42,715 [loud audience applause] 1461 01:15:42,815 --> 01:15:44,785 Jazz is very healthy. 1462 01:15:44,885 --> 01:15:46,789 There are new artists that are 1463 01:15:46,889 --> 01:15:49,528 incorporating jazz with other genres 1464 01:15:49,628 --> 01:15:51,699 so that the lines are more blurred 1465 01:15:51,799 --> 01:15:53,970 between jazz and R&B, 1466 01:15:54,070 --> 01:15:56,208 and hip hop and pop. 1467 01:15:56,308 --> 01:15:57,376 Take Kendrick Lamar, 1468 01:15:57,477 --> 01:15:59,481 his first really huge record was 1469 01:15:59,582 --> 01:16:00,784 "To pimp a butterfly." 1470 01:16:00,884 --> 01:16:02,220 Who were his producers? 1471 01:16:02,320 --> 01:16:03,690 There were all jazz guys. 1472 01:16:03,790 --> 01:16:06,228 Jazz music will remain alive and well 1473 01:16:06,328 --> 01:16:07,831 with the crew of young musicians 1474 01:16:07,931 --> 01:16:10,369 who actually love Oscar Peterson. 1475 01:16:10,670 --> 01:16:11,939 [Batiste] There's gonna be imitations, 1476 01:16:12,039 --> 01:16:13,275 there's going to be things that are derivative, 1477 01:16:13,375 --> 01:16:14,545 but it will never be Oscar. 1478 01:16:14,645 --> 01:16:16,148 When you figure that out, 1479 01:16:16,682 --> 01:16:18,218 people will listen to it forever. 1480 01:16:18,318 --> 01:16:19,622 The greatest there was. 1481 01:16:19,722 --> 01:16:22,059 He's the absolute greatest, man. 1482 01:16:22,160 --> 01:16:23,162 He was. 1483 01:16:23,262 --> 01:16:25,332 There's Oscar. There's Duke. 1484 01:16:25,433 --> 01:16:28,105 These are the center of the universe. 1485 01:16:28,205 --> 01:16:29,842 Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, 1486 01:16:29,942 --> 01:16:32,548 those guys were gods to me. 1487 01:16:32,648 --> 01:16:35,252 Someone says, "Randy, who is Oscar Peterson?" 1488 01:16:35,352 --> 01:16:36,689 I say... 1489 01:16:37,958 --> 01:16:40,062 "We stand on the shoulders of giants." 1490 01:16:40,964 --> 01:16:43,068 [Lewis] Oscar Peterson is 1491 01:16:43,168 --> 01:16:45,039 what Muhammad Ali meant to the boxing, 1492 01:16:45,139 --> 01:16:47,511 and what Michael Jordan meant to basketball. 1493 01:16:47,611 --> 01:16:50,984 I mean, they were the best in their business. 1494 01:16:51,084 --> 01:16:54,859 We need to be mindful of how talented he was, 1495 01:16:55,159 --> 01:16:58,298 because he was Canada's gift to the world. 1496 01:16:58,967 --> 01:17:00,637 He's one of these musicians 1497 01:17:00,737 --> 01:17:02,708 who comes up as a child prodigy, 1498 01:17:02,808 --> 01:17:04,612 and then never sputters. 1499 01:17:05,079 --> 01:17:07,885 Oscar Peterson was the ultimate real deal. 1500 01:17:07,985 --> 01:17:12,126 Nobody will ever take Oscar's place. 1501 01:17:12,694 --> 01:17:17,203 He stands at the top of the mountain. 1502 01:17:17,303 --> 01:17:21,779 [soft dramatic piano music] 1503 01:17:22,046 --> 01:17:24,685 ♪ ♪ 1504 01:17:27,290 --> 01:17:29,695 [Oscar] I have nothing to be regretful about. 1505 01:17:29,929 --> 01:17:32,233 There have been some ups and downs in my life. 1506 01:17:32,534 --> 01:17:34,237 I'm very happy that 1507 01:17:34,337 --> 01:17:35,372 for the better part of my life 1508 01:17:35,472 --> 01:17:37,443 I've been a very fortunate 1509 01:17:37,544 --> 01:17:39,147 and thankful person for 1510 01:17:39,247 --> 01:17:40,316 what's happened to me. 1511 01:17:40,416 --> 01:17:43,823 [piano music ends] 1512 01:17:49,969 --> 01:17:54,177 [light piano jazz plays] 1513 01:17:55,112 --> 01:18:01,258 ♪ ♪ 1514 01:18:05,366 --> 01:18:07,971 ♪ ♪ 1515 01:18:35,359 --> 01:18:37,898 ♪ ♪ 1516 01:19:05,352 --> 01:19:11,331 ♪ ♪ 1517 01:19:35,312 --> 01:19:41,358 ♪ ♪ 1518 01:22:05,513 --> 01:22:11,525 ♪ ♪ 1519 01:22:23,583 --> 01:22:26,020 [audience applauds] 1520 01:22:28,793 --> 01:22:30,530 Hey Oscar, this is for you. 1521 01:22:30,897 --> 01:22:34,470 [fast-paced piano melody] 1522 01:22:37,677 --> 01:22:40,082 ♪ ♪ 1523 01:22:47,463 --> 01:22:52,406 Woo! Ba dop doo dee, man, O. P.!