DigitalJournal.com – Before Oscar Peterson took the stage at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall on Friday, an excited fan was restless two rows behind me. The cool-looking leather-jacketed guy clapped for no apparent reason and cried out the jazz legend’s name. He then declared: “Seeing Oscar Peterson is like seeing Prince.”
That respect is constantly poured on the 78-year-old pianist who jazzed up Canada in the early 1950s and became synonymous with exemplary artisan. While admirers may find it strange to compare him to a pop-funk jack-of-all-trades like Prince, they nevertheless appreciate Peterson’s energy, talent and enduring genius.
While his speed has lessened in later years, the recent concert proved that experience supercedes strength. Shuffling on stage with his quartet, his left hand crippled from a 1993 stroke, Peterson looked his age. But when the pianist stroked those keys during his first number “City Lights,” years melted from his hands and his fingers danced frenetically. His left hand kept pace on waltz chords while his right resembled a marionette on speed — undoubtedly, age was only a number.
It was a treat that Peterson played more original tunes than covers, considering that the sold-out crowd likely wanted OP and only OP (as he’s nicknamed). Not to be dismissed, Peterson’s band showed their mettle by soloing crisply and flashing some creative riffs. Guitarist Ulf Wakenius threw in some bluesy grooves reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan and bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen wowed the crowd with inventive bass lines. Drummer Martin Drew sounded stiff at first, but after a solo stretched his musical muscle he became the perfect compliment to the piano’s lead.
The night belonged to Peterson, of course, and his spotlight moments were old jazz grooves mixed with upbeat energy. One tune showcased a more funky solo that Peterson ended in a blazing flourish, and another featured speedy key slides over a time signature I could only call “warp speed.”
For those unaccustomed to a jazz show, the format might feel predictable: everyone plays together at first, then someone solos and then another solos, perhaps the guitarist solo-battles the pianist, and finally they come together for a finale. But the beauty of tight bands like the Oscar Peterson Quartet is how improvised playing can spice up a routine set. Jazz doesn’t feel monotonous when brilliance like Peterson’s evokes more emotions than crude thoughts like, “Yeah, that was a cool bass line.” On “When Summer Comes,” Peterson crafts a light airy number that brings to mind a glistening sunrise and warm breezes; yes, music can be that cheesy and when a band hits the right chord deep down, you know you’ve found something special.
Most importantly, Peterson’s show not only compelled some serious toe-tapping — the best tunes made you want to jump, jive and wail for more. It could be Peterson’s ability to hit the groove’s sweet spot or it could be the combined talent surrounding the pianist. Whatever the cause, the result was always tasty songs as appealing as the composer himself.
The newly-renovated Roy Thomson Hall was packed tight not only because Peterson is known as an accomplished musician. His firm position on equality and social justice led to his promotion as Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian honour. His charity work shuttled him into that rare area of “Celebrities That Truly Care About The World.” That dedication — perhaps a byproduct of his musical devotion — awarded him laurels such as the UNESCO International Music Prize and the Queen’s Medal. Last week, the feds tipped their hat to Peterson by inviting him to play at the Liberal Party convention.
If there were criteria at the Pearly Gates that asked for artistic and societal contributions, Peterson would be number one in both categories. The recent concert proved that illness doesn’t hobble genius, and no matter how Canadian jazz is molded in the years to come, Oscar Peterson’s reputation will never tarnish and never fade.
