Oscar Peterson has Died

Canadian Jazz legend Oscar Peterson passed away yesterday (December 23, 2007) of kidney failure in Mississauga, Ontario.

Wrote Richard Beauchamp at CJAD:

During his half-century career, he's played with such jazz giants as Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins and Ella Fitzgerald...among others...and is regarded as one of the finest jazz pianists of all time.

He was born in Montreal on August 15, 1925, and was raised in Little Burgundy. He arrived in New York City -- then the jazz capital of the world -- in 1949, at the invitation of legendary jazz impresario Norman Granz.

He received numerous honours throughout his career, including the Order of Canada, and a lifetime achievement Grammy in 1997. Concordia University's named its concert hall at Loyola Campus in his honour in 1999.

He will be missed.

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Visit our Oscar Peterson spotlight for the tributes.

WKC: Here is a video of Oscar Peterson found at Natasha Gauthier's blog