Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
If Art Tatum was the “God” of the jazz piano, then his protege, Oscar Peterson, was his only-begotten son. Peterson died of kidney failure Sunday at his home in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga. He was 82.
From the time of his emergence in the early ‘40s, Peterson’s classically trained and blues-hued brilliance set the standard for jazz piano excellence. He was born to Jamaican immigrant parents in Montreal on Aug. 15, 1925. His classical studies started when he was 6, and eight years later he won a local talent competition. He went on to appear regularly on a Montreal radio station with the Johnny Holmes Orchestra. When Norman Granz heard Peterson, the young pianist had amalgamated the styles of Tatum, Erroll Garner and Nat “King” Cole. Impressed by his talent, Granz featured him in Carnegie Hall in his Jazz At The Philharmonic concerts and he signed him to his Verve record label. With an instrumentation that featured bass, guitar and piano, Peterson formed a popular trio with Ray Brown and Herb Ellis in the 1950s.
Later, drummer Ed Thigpen would be added and the combo worked steadily for the next two decades. His tribute to his homeland, The Canadian Suite was nominated for a Grammy in 1965, and his nod to Cole, With Respect To Nat, is one of his best loved recordings. He also recorded with Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie, among numerous collaborations.
In addition to the trio, Peterson performed and recorded in a number of configurations from solo piano to orchestral, always setting the keyboard standard.
In 1984, Peterson was elected by the Readers into the Down Beat Hall of Fame.
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
“The love from the jazz and music community restored my faith in humanity,” Walia wrote in an online post upon his release from detention at an ICE facility.
Aug 18, 2026 2:15 PM
Indian jazz guitarist and composer Pritesh Walia has been released after being unexpectedly detained by ICE and taken…
Percussionist Poncho Sanchez was among the artists scheduled to perform at the now-canceled inaugural LA Jazz Festival.
Aug 11, 2026 12:53 PM
The inaugural LA Jazz Festival, originally scheduled to run Aug. 7–23 with dozens of events across Los Angeles’…
Bertoncini was a specialist and advocate for the nylon-string acoustic guitar, turning down high-profile opportunities that were unsuited to the sound and techniques that he used with that instrument.
Sep 1, 2026 11:06 AM
Gene Bertoncini, an esteemed jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and educator, died Aug. 29 at the Lillian Booth Actors…
A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.
Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
