Table of Contents

Part One: The Key to Oscar; 1A: Canada; 1. Beginnings 2. Early Teachers 3. My Dad: Daniel Peterson 4. The Formative Years 5. Subcultures and Bigotry 6. Runs, chords, and Girls 7. Decisions, Decisions 8. From Sixteen to Three 9. Collie Ramsey: Mystery Piano Player 10. Departure & Arrival Part 1 11. Departure & Arrival; Part 2; 1B: America: The 50s; 12. Early American Days 13. From Duo to Trio 14. Herbie's Story 15. Trio Control and Growth 16. Membership Flow in the Trio (1) 17. Early Trio Life and Dealing with the Road 18. The Dinner Battles 19. A Different Kind of Taping 20. The Bus - Part One 21. The Bus - Part Two 22. Kissing Bandit 23. Ice-Cream Charlie Does it Again 24. The Slasher 25. The Return of the Dallas Flash 26. Five Cameos 27. The Knowledgeable Media 28. The Southern Draft; 1C: Norman Granz; 29. Norman Granz: Reluctant Genius 30. Norman the Gourmand 31. Lifetime Achievement Grammy; 1D: Jazz People; 32. Coleman Hawkins: The Enigma 33. Meet the President: Lester Young 34. The Legend is Real: Lady Fitz 35. Billie Holiday: The Mysterious Lady Day 36. The Lady Day Sessions 37. Buddy Rich 38. Roy (Speedy Gonzales) Eldridge 39. Harry Edison 40. Bill Harris 41. Stuff Smith 42. Stan and Zoot 43. Carmen McRae: The Special One 44. The Other Lady Day: Anita O'Day 45. A Glance at my Confreres in the Piano World 46. Wynton Kelly: Brimsha Man 47. In the Studio: The Proving Ground 48. The Verve Charlie Parker Jam Session 49. The Role of the Accompanist; Part Two: More Keys: The 60s Onwards; 50. The Percussive Group: Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen 51. The Night Train Album 52. Membership Flow in the Trio (2): 60s and 70s 53. The Long and the Short of It 54. The MPS Years 55. Those Unrelenting Bassists 56. Persuasive Percussion 57. Joe Pass: Guitar Eternal 58. Porgy and Bess with Joe Pass 59. Hang Out in Japan 60. The Hands Hassle 61. Preparation for Solo Piano Performance 62. Duke Ellington: Monarch Supreme 63. The Trumpet Kings 64. Clark Terry: Unsung Hero 65. Ronnie Scott: 'The Rev' 66. Mr Pretty: Alan Claire 67. Four Vignettes: James Mason, Jonathan Winters, Clint Eastwood, Back Up Friends 68. Paul De Marky's Chopin-like Eggs 69. Benny Green: Critic Supreme 70. 'Oscar's Piano Parties' 71. Pianos: My Lifelong Friends 72. The Electronic Revolution 73. Promoters and their Ways 74. The Royal Wedding Album 75. The New Quartet 76. The Order of Canada 77. The Gienn Gould Prize 78. The Praemium Imperiale; Part Three: Matters Political; 79. Bigotry Starts Early 80. Nigger! 81. My Favourite Politician 82. Pitfalls of the Profession 83. Cultural Politics: The Betrayal of Jazz; Part Four: Matters Personal; 84. True Moments of Greatness: The Outdoorsman 85. The Great Hotels of the World 86. The Continual Search for True Friends 87. Night Child 88. Marriage and Fatherhood 89. Surgery, Resurgence, Stroke! 90. The Perfect Retreat 91. The Elusive Control of Emotion 92. The Will to Perfection

About the Author

Jazz pianist Oscar Peterson is, in the words of Quincy Jones, 'one of the greatest musicians on the planet.' Richard Palmer is a lifelong jazz fan and has been a staff writer for Jazz Journal since the late 1970s.

Reviews

"The pianist Oscar Peterson has amassed a reputation as one of Jazz's virtuosos. Reading on, especially for jazz fans, yields rewards." New York Times; "One of the most important jazz books published for quite some time. It should be in every serious jazz enthusiast's library." Jazz Journal; "[A] delightful autobiography, which has been 15 years in the making. It's a fascinating read that chronicles an extraordinary life. Rich in anecdotes that jazz lovers will lap up, and full of engrossing insights into the mechanics of performance." Yorkshire Post"

"The pianist Oscar Peterson has amassed a reputation as one of Jazz's virtuosos. Reading on, especially for jazz fans, yields rewards." New York Times; "One of the most important jazz books published for quite some time. It should be in every serious jazz enthusiast's library." Jazz Journal; "[A] delightful autobiography, which has been 15 years in the making. It's a fascinating read that chronicles an extraordinary life. Rich in anecdotes that jazz lovers will lap up, and full of engrossing insights into the mechanics of performance." Yorkshire Post"

The title of this autobiography says it all: the life of renowned jazz pianist Peterson (b. 1925) has truly been an odyssey. Born in Montreal to parents of West Indian descent, he first made a name for himself as a teenager in the Johnny Holmes Orchestra, Canada's top big band, before moving to New York City to record for RCA. During the 1950s, he became known as a gifted accompanist for Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic tours as well as for Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, Louis Armstrong, and Billie Holliday, among others. These encounters with the famous, along with his struggles with racism from a Canadian perspective, are all shared with great sincerity. Overseen by Palmer, the author of Oscar Peterson (o.p.), the narrative as a whole flows nicely. This latest entry on Peterson's life and work should help update other works, including Palmer's book and Gene Lees's Oscar Peterson: The Will To Swing, recently reissued by Cooper Square Press. Recommended for large public and academic libraries and wherever patrons are interested in jazz. [This is being issued in conjunction with a best-of CD, also titled A Jazz Odyssey (Verve). Ed.] Ronald S. Russ, Arkansas State Univ. Lib., Beebe Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.