Oscar Peterson dies.

[James Deuce]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7159591.stm

Probably doesn't mean much to a lot of you, but hopefully you might go look him up.

One of the few Jazz musicians who when handed a crappy composition would turn out a legendary performance, and turned free-form into an acknowledged art form.

It will be 50 years before Mid-20th Century Jazz is popular again. My great grand kids are in for a treat.

[xwhatsit]

Oh that's a great shame. I've got about eight or nine of his records; if any of you are inspired to go and look him up, Night Train is a classic one to start with.

Brilliantly fast pianist, one of the `busiest' pianists out there. Amazing continuous phrases of double-time notes that would go on for bar after bar. A crude way of building up tension, but highly effective. Never lost that original bluesy feel to his playing, despite being from the same era as Miles and Trane and all of those who moved jazz to more and more abstract places. Nearly all of his music remained pretty accessible; earthy, feet-tapping stuff. No Bill Evans was he.

Jim2: Your last sentence; I hope it's not that long :)