On January 12, a tribute concert for the late Oscar Peterson was held in Toronto at Roy Thomson Hall. It was free and open to the public. I was working at a conference and could not attend, so I was thrilled to hear that the CBC had put the concert up on their website. I'm listening to it as I write this and am overwhelmed with emotion. O.P. was a much loved and admired musician and human being. The tributes to him, both musical and in words are simply beautiful.
Earlier this week, I spoke with Phil Nimmons, who was a close friend of Oscar's for over half a century. For him, speaking at this concert was the opportunity to say goodbye to a friend who meant so much to him. When Phil arrived at Roy Thomson Hall people were lined up around the block. And though the hall seats over 2600, there is no way that all of those people got in. Phil, a jazz legend himself, was amazed at how many people lined up for hours just to see this concert. He was in awe of the fact that Oscar meant so much to so many. I think that sometimes, artists don't realize just how much their talent and artistry affect us as human beings. And Oscar affected and influenced so many people. His musical legacy will live on for a very long time.
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3 comments:
Hey Vivian,
I listened to the concert live and thought it was wonderful. What an incredibly humble man he was. I was truly surprised at how many big names made the effort to get to Toronto to honour Oscar and how many people cited him as a major influence.
"Oscar affected and influenced so many people. His musical legacy will live on for a very long time."
The best measure of an artist really. Not daft things like sales and music awards, but the fact that they are sorely missed.
It really was an impressive line up at the concert. His influence was quite far reaching. Very impressive. And Pel, you are so right. Awards and units sold don't mean nearly as much as what his music meant to people and how much he is missed.
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