Oscar Peterson, RIP

Died last night in his Mississauga home at 82.

One of the absolute great jazz musicians of our era.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/288525

 

Don't agree with JR hardly at all, but I will on this one. One of the all-time greats.

RIP.

 

I never knew he was Canadian.
No wonder his records cost less in the US.

(ducking)

RIP to a great talent.

 

Great on the 88's.
RIP.

 

An absolute giant of Canadian music, one of our all-time greatest exports to the entertainment world.

I worked in the photo/video department of Canon Canada for three years in the mid-to-late 90s. Canon's office was in Mississauga and Peterson was a neighbour of the president of the company. Peterson was a photography nut and only used Canon stuff. He periodically sent stuff in for servicing and one of our camera repair guys would fix it and drive it back to his place. I was asked to tag along on occasion but could never fit it into my schedule.

If I'd gone I probably would have just ended up sitting there like an idiot until I could get thge balls to ask him about that famous recording he played on of Ella Fitzgerald screwing up the words to "Mack the Knife".

 

I saw Oscar and ...son and for some reason my first thought was Oscar Robertson had died.
My bad.

 

RIP...

 

He was still dazzling crowds as recently as last year.

MommaHwy caught him at the Monterey Jazz Festival '06, and said he was one of the best acts she's seen in recent years at MJF.

 

Hope I don't lose my SportsJournalists.com license for posting this on the wrong thread...but I can't get enough of it.