It is being reported that a concert is being organized for next Saturday in Toronto to honor the life of late Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson.
Organizers of the show, which is scheduled for January 12 at the Roy Thomson Hall include Bob Rae, ex-premier of the province of Ontario, Brian Robertson, ex-chair of the Canadian Recording Arts Industry Association and Peter Herrndorf, head of the National Arts Centre.
“Oscar Peterson – Simply the Best” will have performances by Measha Brueggergosman and numerous choirs, as well as speeches by Governor General Micha’lle Jean and Peterson family friend Rae, in addition to showing film footage from the great musician’s discography.
The event will be free for the public to attend, and for those who can not make it, it will be broadcast on CBC Radio One at 4pm.
“I was proud to know him, proud that he was a Canadian and that he was frequently thought of that way. And it took us a while to figure it out as Canadians,” said Ross Porter, the president and CEO of JAZZ FM in Toronto.
“The accolades came later in life for Oscar as a Canadian … And I know that was a bit of a pebble in his shoe for a number of years, but I think, toward the end, he finally shook that pebble out and felt a lot better about Canada … People often assumed that he had moved to Los Angeles or New York or lived outside of Canada. But he lived in Montreal and he lived in Toronto.”
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