Oscar Peterson: Keeping The Groove Alive

by | Sep 18, 2020

Perfectionist, practical joker, and one of the all-time greatest exponents of jazz, the late, great, Oscar Peterson is unlike any music legend that ever was or ever will be. Dubbed the “Maharajah of Piano” by Duke Ellington, his utter dedication to music for the past seven decades has taken him to the pinnacle of international success and to the depths of emotional despair.

Oscar Peterson: Keeping the Groove Alive reveals the man behind the legend, featuring compelling interviews with Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock, Phil Nimmons and many more. Peterson’s drive to perfection was nurtured early by a determined father who exhorted his son to be “the best jazz pianist ever.” That drive would take young Oscar from the dancehalls of Montreal to the concert halls of the world.

In candid interviews, Peterson talks about how he escaped the addictions that destroyed so many artists in his field. “I always believed that your instrument should be your needle and the music your addiction,” he says. But like all addictions, this one took its toll — loneliness, divorce, illness, and regret. Now happily married to his fourth wife, Kelly, Peterson is enjoying the family life that for so long eluded him. At 78, Oscar Peterson is still performing … still keeping the groove alive.
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