Oscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar

This riveting music documentary, as seen on TV and now available on DVD, Oscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar, traces the history of Jazz piano legend Oscar Peterson, from his early days as Montreal’s teenage Boogie-Woogie sensation through his meteoric rise to international celebrity with Norman Granz and the ground-breaking Jazz at the Philharmonic and beyond.

This DVD is jam packed with music, rare footage, home movies, multiple DVD Bonus Features, and in-depth interviews with a Who’s Who of Jazz legends including Ella Fitzgerald and Quincy Jones. This comprehensive documentary film is destined to become a classic. Highlighted in this treasure trove of musical gems is the reunion of the legendary Oscar Peterson Trio (bassist Ray Brown, guitarist Herb Ellis, and Oscar on Piano) after a twenty-year hiatus. And almost as memorable as the music is the voice of the man himself, passionately and articulately guiding us through his unfolding musical and personal evolution.

Some of this film’s musical highlights include a performance with Count Basie, Caravan, Gentle Waltz, Boogie Woogie, Tiny’s Exercise (by Art Tatum), Tenderly, Sweet Loraine (by Nat “King” Cole), Hymn to Freedom, Bag’s Groove, Place St. Henri, Perdido (with Cleo Lane & John Dankworth), March Past, Nightmare, Hallelujah Time, Nigerian Marketplace, Lonesome One…and more.

Other topics covered include the anatomy of the trio, Montreal’s Golden Era, measuring up to Art Tatum, the Johnny Holmes Big Band, the color barrier and race relations, Norman Granz, Jazz At The Philharmonic (JATP), Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Brown’s perspective, touring Europe, substance abuse casualties, social change in America, the Civil Rights Movement – The Dream, the permanence of Jazz, the competitive side of Oscar, award presentations, the Royal Albert Hall Performance, and much more.

From concert performances and revealing insight from Oscar himself to enlightening interviews with a profusion of American musical icons, this DVD, Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar,  not only serves as the foremost documentary of the pianist, but as a testament to the undeniable legacy of  legendary Jazz pianist and composer, Oscar Peterson.