Funny story: I was working at the hall and the programming director had given me a DVD of Oscar Peterson live in Vienna with his picture as seen above. A co-worker comes into the office – in a concert hall known for both it’s jazz and classical events - and asks me if that was a picture of my grandfather. This had me rolling both because my grandfather, a jazz loving trumpeter, would have been tickled but also because it was a damn DVD…of Oscar Peterson for chrissakes! Who doesn’t know who Oscar Peterson is?? And if I had a granddad with a DVD I sure as shit wouldn’t have been working there! LMBAO!

They had a tribute to the jazz giant, who died on December 23rd of kidney failure, the other day at my old job, that same concert hall, and what a fitting tribute it was. Oscar would have commanded jazz greats from all over the world to come out in support of him anyway but there’s no doubt in my mind that because of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) holding its 30th Annual Conference in Toronto, we were blessed with a who’s who of jazz that probably would have sent their praises in beautiful press releases instead. Actually I take that back, Herbie Hancock might have made the trek up here since he is a mainstay at Massey Hall almost yearly.

Just days before he died, in fact, the jazz world was a buzz about the symposium and the fact that Oscar Peterson would be the guest of honor and President's Award recipient. I’m not mad at anyone who would rather grieve form the comforts of their homes, most likely in warmer climates, than come all the way up to Canada in the middle of winter, but how nice it was to see them parade into the grand hall.

Nancy Wilson looks like she’s my mom’s age (who incidentally looks 20 years younger herself)! Her crown rich cocoa skin would put some girls my own age to shame , it was so unlined. The one namers like Quincy, Herbie, and a Stevie (in a taped segment), sat next to the likes of Monty Alexander, Gregory Charles, and Hillary Kole, celebrating Canada’s jazz man in a free concert that was packed to the rafters. It was so very fitting.

Canada likes to sweep our racism under the rug but I remember the stories of Oscar Peterson’s neighbors circulating a petition against him moving into their tony cul-de-sac many years ago after already being hailed as Canada’s premier musician. And only last year, people like to forget, kids (!) were driving past his home hurling racial taunts and insults. Oh Canada indeed.