Oscar Peterson Biography

Oscar Peterson was a teen sensation on piano in his native Montreal, playing in dance bands and recording in the late 1930s and early 1940s. In the late ’40s he began touring the United States and Europe and quickly made a name for himself as a jazz virtuoso, often compared to piano great Art Tatum for his speed and technical skill. Though Peterson usually played in a trio (notably with Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis on guitar in the 1950s), he has also played with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie. A recipient of Canada’s highest awards and honors, he also has a Lifetime Grammy (1997) and a spot in the International Jazz Hall of Fame.