Pianist, jazz great Oscar Peterson dies at 82

TORONTO: Oscar Peterson, whose speedy fingers, propulsive swing and melodic inventiveness made him one of the world's best known and influential jazz pianists, has died. He was 82.
   
Peterson died at his home in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga on Sunday, said Oliver Jones, a family friend and jazz musician. He said Peterson's wife and daughter were with him during his final moments. The cause of death was kidney failure, said Mississauga's mayor Hazel McCallion.
   
"He's been going downhill in the last few months," McCallion said, calling Peterson a "very close friend."
   
During an illustrious career spanning seven decades, Peterson played with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

He is also remembered for the trio he led with Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis on guitar in the 1950s.
   
Peterson's impressive collection of awards include all of Canada's highest honours, such as the Order of Canada, as well as seven Grammys and a Grammy for lifetime achievement in 1997.
   
"I've always thought of him as Canada's national treasure. All of Canada mourns for him and his family," said Jones. "He had 60 full years of being considered the top jazz pianist in the world."
   
"A jazz player is an instant composer," Peterson once said in a CBC interview, while conceding jazz did not have the mass appeal of other musical genres. "You have to think about it, it's an intellectual form," he said.
   
Peterson's stature was reflected in the admiration of his peers. Duke Ellington referred to him as the "Maharajah of the keyboard," while Count Basie once said "Oscar Peterson plays the best ivory box I've ever heard."