JN)) J \f J )) lJ J\ t ~~~!~~r· to its longevity, COVER STORY: . that's the way I feel; I like to be a Oscar Peterson tp~, oscar, that I hav~ troub_le J: There's a lot of music out there calling Jazz. I tend to think of It as in conversation with Jim Galloway contemporary creative music, but I don 't really think it has the elements that for me are jazz. 0: No, that's the unfortunate part of it. You know, you get into the area of people that don't have the 9 musical credentials and background ~ to really do something worthy ·· 8 jazzwise. And so they start taking ~ it in another direction, or so they iE try. You can't take jazz in another. direction, you can only give - Oscar Peterson will be guest of honour and President's Award inject your own personality into it, recipient during the 3rd Anni/al Gala 'that's as far as you can go. Dizzy Dinner, hosted by Nancy Wilson, at was another cqntributor. Dizzy had the upcoming WE conference in a certain idea of how he would Toronto in early January. This play; he 'didn't ·think that he interview with .Oscar Peterson took encompassed the whole jazz scene. place in the relaxed atmosphere of That's the problem with ego, it's his home ,in Mississauga, an ego trip, isn't it, when someone November I9 2002. says, I'm changing the face of J: I hardly know where to begin · jazz. You know I've heard a lot of Oscar, because I doubt if there's people that might think that way. a Canadian in the arts who's They're not going to change my received more honours, more belief in what I think jazz should decorations, more awards 'than be. I think it;s predicated on you have. So that made me resp~ct of what h.as gone before wonder, when did youji.rst realise you ... When I sit down to play I that you were special? There must think of everybody· from Fats . have been a moment, there 'must Waller, or Hank Jones, right back have been wme time when you to Cripple Clarence Lofton if you said I've got something here... want, and I have respect for that, 0: I think when my piano teacher and I will always have that , said to me one day - "You know, respect. I'm just giving you some little J: Do you have any goals that things I think you're going to you're still striving for? need, but you won't need that 0: Perfection (laughs)... That still much help, because I think you hangs over the whole thing ... know where you want to go." J: All the tim~ ... and you h
0: Oh yeah, definitely; they accept 'it. J: Yeah well, or course: But if the powers tharbe strive for the lowest common denominator then sit in the wings - and Hank would be right there, playing for Fitz (Eila). and I'd soak up whatever I could, 'cause, he taught me everything I know about it. that's what's going to happen.. J: Which is a lot ... 0: That's what is happening. · 0: I unequivocally call him for J: 1$ it hard to be optimistic about .that. I learned from Halik Jones. the future? I'm not ashamed to say that, I'm proud to say it. I only did what I learned, it's that simple. That worked for Hank, and I said to myself, that's a good platform to work on, maybe it'll work for me, and that's what I did. Other than that, you don't have t.o copy ... 0: I'm a believer there, because of one thing - individuality. There's always someone. out there that says, no, I'm not going to do it that way. J: That's very interesting; because you know, quite apart from what we 're doing just now, I've (I/ready ·been writing my regular piece for the magazine and it starts off saying:- "You know what I miss? . Individuality." O: (laughs) J: (laughs) 0: OK I won't say any more ... J: If it's not th~re, it withers. 0: Because it's been cloaked under what people like to call new talent; Because they think it's new talent, it doesn't mean .to say it's individuality. Today it only means they're making a louder sound, and more money. But I'm proud about several things, I'm proud that I can, th:ank God, still walk out on the stage, and have people not only applaud, but stand up and cheer. .. and it's not my ownpersonal ego, it's because of the music. That's the way I look at it. It's not me, and they're not just cheering because it's a ' Bosendorfer piano; they're cheering because it's the medium, it's the music they anticipate hearing. And I'm proud of that, I am. Jazz is not forgotten. · J: Another thing ... 'technique is technique and you h£ive such a command of the instrument, but one of the things tha,t I really love about what you do is the wonderful talent you have for accompaniment. You can back a singer like nobody else. And you ·have this wonderful ability to know when to use the chops and when to leave spaces... . · · 0: Do you want to know who my teacher was? It was Hank Jones. J: It was Hank, OK. 0: Because the way the :Jazz At The Phil things would work, the horns would have the first set, there'd be an intermission, and then various small groups '- - Gene Krupa's ·group, or whoever, my trio and so on, and \he closing of the show would be Ella - and I'd Ji No! ... I . 0: It's a matter of influe·nce, to me there's a difference ... J: You pick up influences ... 0: Influences .... you soak them µp, and it comes out with your personality on it. J: Sure, that's what it's all about ... 0: I ~hink so ... J: You know, there's not one of us who doesn 't owe something - hasn 't been influenced by what went on before us and I don 't. care ~ho it is ... there's aUttle bit of Armstrong, · of Lester, or. Webster, it's there, it's got to be. 0: I used to insert at various times in my solos some of that - I ,call it doodling - that Pres would do, · . I ' COVER STORY CONTINUES, PAGE 26 . +Guitars ·+Music books +Amps +Digital pianos +Keyboards +Lessons +Accessories +Music software YAMAHA &-J:K{cy 4 Area Locations: +2431 Yonge St., Toronto 416-485-8868 +Scarborough Town Centre 416-296-8840 +Square One Mississauga 905-896-7766 +349 King St. W., Oshawa 905-576-2414 - GREAT CHAMBER MUSIC DOWNTOWN THE ST. ·LAWRENCE QUARTET Programme f ea tu res the Schubert Quintet with founding cellist Marina Hoover Thursday, January 16 at 8:00 p.rn, KRISZTINA SZABO in recital Rising star mezzo sings a varied programme including Purcell, Debussy, Rossini &: Bolcom · · Thursday, January 23 at 8:00 p.m. THE Music. TORONTO CHAMBER SOCIETY Annalee Patipatanakoon & Scott St. John, violinists Roman Bo1ys, cellist, & David Harding, violist Jamie Parker, pianist Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Dohnanyi Tuesday, January 28 at 8:00 p.m. ~AT www.music-toronto.c~ ·~Jane Mallett Thea.tre . . . St. Lawre11ce Centre for the Arts www.silc.com 416-366-7723 • 1-800-708-6754 NEW! order online at www.stlc.com Feb. 13 Feb. 20 Feb. 25 Mar. 4 Mar. 13 Mar. 18 Mar. 27 Apr. 1 Apr. 10 LOOKING AHEAD Laura Wilcox, violist Penderecki Quartet Markus Groh, pianist Gryphon Trio - 10th anniversa1y! Ian Parker, pianist Andreas Haefliger, pianist Orion Quartet Louise Bessette, pianist Tokyo Quartet December 1 2002 - February 7 2003 www.thewholenote.com 7
