Alex Barris's Oscar Peterson: a Sources, Although Not in Alphabetical Musical Biography Is First and Foremost Order Nor Always with Full Citations
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Oscar Peterson: A Musical Biography. By Alex Barris. Toronto: HarperCollins Canada, 2002.244 pages. Hard cover. ISBN 0-00-200082-2 $37.95 Alex Barris's Oscar Peterson: A sources, although not in alphabetical Musical Biography is first and foremost order nor always with full citations. a celebration of Peterson and his music. (Curiously, Lees' book, while frequently Barris, who has known Peterson for over referenced, is absent from this list.) fifty years, adulates his subject as "Canada's greatest gift to the world of Barris's book was published in 2002. jazz" (vii). But while Barris's In the same year, Peterson's cheerleading is at times refreshing, the autobiography A Jazz Odyssey: The Life book is poorly organized and edited, and of Oscar Peterson made its triumphal makes little effort to provide a balanced debut, and the updated version of Lees' view of Peterson's musical life and invaluable resource appeared only two career. years before. Comparisons among the books are inevitable; there are Organized loosely in chronological considerable similarities in structure and order, the book attempts to paint a content. A striking difference, though, is picture of Peterson's musical career by what Barris does not include. Whereas presenting a deluge of anecdotes from a Lees delves into Peterson's career and variety of sources including Peterson personal life with verve, Barris skips himself. Although Barris seems to have over much discussion of the latter. In a had several opportunities to interview prefatory Author's Note, he explains: Peterson directly, he also relies extensively on third-party reflections To the extent that that is possible, and other Peterson interviews. In fact, a I believe that anybody's private large part of the text consists of life is his own business, and not quotations. There are frequent references ours. Consequently, references to to record liner notes, newspaper articles, Oscar's personal life are included Peterson's Web site (www.oscar in this book only where they peterson.com), and books such as Gene have some bearing on his Lees' Oscar Peterson: The Will to Swing musical or professional activities. (2000) and John Gilmore's Swinging in (vii) Paradise: The Stoty of Jazz in Montreal (1989). But readers who are interested in In contrast, Peterson's autobiography tracking down Barris's citations and does include ample discussion of second-hand retelling of stories will be "Matters Personal," devoting an entire disappointed. There is no exhaustive list section to it, with references to his failed of sources either in the form of endnotes marriages and other problematic or a bibliography. However, Barris does relationships. Both Lees and Peterson include an index and an extensive, address the complicated relationship that although not complete, discography. Oscar had with his severe father, which (Peterson's recordings from the late Barris bypasses to emphasize only the 1940's are missing.) He also includes a positive dynamics. List of Permissions which lists some Throughout, Barris maintains a the album. After identifying With genial, colloquial style of writing. This Respect to Nat as Peterson's second (and is most successful when Barris recounts last) recording where he sings and plays, his personal association with Peterson. Barris detours for a further five For example, in Chapter 1, "The Joe paragraphs on Nat King Cole's musical Lewis of the Piano," Barris shares with career. Barris does bring the topic back pleasure his discovery of Ella Fitzgerald to the first digression of Peterson's and Peterson jamming in the wings of singing, but only after repeating in two Massey Hall before an early 1950's places that Cole died the same year the concert in Toronto. Similarly, in the LP was issued. An abrupt return to the chapter entitled "Music and Fun," Barris chapter's main topic is heralded with discusses Peterson's penchant for "To get back to the Concertgebuow practical jokes and tells of a good- CD...." However, Barris soon wanders natured joke he played on Oscar. Some away again, quoting fiom an interview passages go over the top, however, in with Herb Ellis (Peterson's guitarist in their gratuitous praise. Consider the his first trio) on the trio's musical following passage in reference to the interaction, given in the liner notes for a album entitled Jousts: CD reissue. After one more brief mention of musical selection What a marvelous idea it was for inconsistencies, the chapter fizzles out Oscar (and to give him due with a review of Peterson's credit, Norman Granz) to go into performances on two other tracks. studios in Los Angeles, New York, and even London, Inconsistent organization and England, with these trumpet repetition stemming from atrocious kings and give us all such joyous editing plague many sections of the jazz. (143) book. On pages 65 and 75, the same extended Ellis quote is used even though Each of the twenty-eight chapters is the quote in the latter location is only loosely guided by a theme, stringing indirectly related to the content. Barris together sometimes disparate stories into also writes that Peterson was ready to a collage of vignettes. For example, in perform a June 2001 concert as if it had "The Amsterdam Scam," only a small yet to occur (p. 221), but earlier in a portion directly deals with the issue different chapter, Barris summarizes suggested by the title, namely that the how the June concert went (p. 215). The music on the LP called The Oscar chapter on "Oscar the Composer" is Peterson Trio at the Concertgebuow particularly bad in this regard. On page actually comes fiom a performance at 130, Barris writes "[Peterson] has with the Civic Opera House in Chicago. After age become more of an experimentalist, a little more than a page on the so-called taking greater risks and attempting scam, Barris spends six paragraphs greater innovation," but just five lines discussing Peterson's singing on records, later he continues ". .. [Peterson] resisted both involuntary and intentional, after strong pressure fiom those who wanted mentioning that Peterson's voice is him to be an innovator.. He's been heard humming along on one track of doing it for forty years, and he has prevailed'' (italics added). It also takes McNamara in a chapter on her work and nine paragraphs just to get to the main influence in Canadian jazz. But "Oscar topic: "Oscar Peterson has done his and the Jazz Lady" is really more about share of composing, too." Immediately how Barris himself put on a benefit following this statement though, Barris concert to help pay for McNamara's cites two paragraph-long remembrances medical expenses resulting from of Oscar's incredible musical memory as Parkinson's disease. Peterson did a child, before the first substantive participate in the concert, but his role is discussion of Peterson's compositional reduced that of a supporting character. activities occurs. Still, the chapter holds together better than most because Barris simply tells the These meaflderings could at times be story instead of tediously relying on considered a plus. For instance, Barris's other sources. It is clear that Barris has unexpected interpolation of a four-CD led a fascinating life as a journalist and listening guide to Oscar Peterson is, broadcaster, and could probably write a nonetheless, a perfectly valid collection very interesting autobiography. of pivotal recordings. This list (pp. 158- 9) includes Oscar Peterson Beginnings Alex Barris holds his subject in the (194549), The Oscar Peterson Trio at highest esteem. The photographs the Stratford Shakespearean Festival selected for inclusion capture the jazz (1956), Ella and Oscar (1975), and Last virtuoso in his glory. But in spite of Call at the Blue Note (1990). He some engaging passages, Oscar Peterson frequently provides interesting suffers f?om poor editing, inconsistent anecdotes about other jazz musicians, writing, and patchy scholarship. Barris and there are extended forays into does share and celebrate Peterson's people prominent in Peterson's life, public achievements. But aside f?om including his parents, his sister Daisy, some personal reflections and Johnny Holmes, Norman Granz, Ray reminiscences, he offers little that cannot Brown, and Nat Cole. (Cole is discussed be found elsewhere. with slightly conflicting information in two separate locations.) James McGowan University of Rochester Barris also pays tribute to Helen Works Cited Gilrnore, John. 1989. Swinging in Paradise: The Story of Jazz in Montreal. Montrkal: V6hicule Press. Lees, Gene. 2000. Oscar Peterson: The Will to Swing. Updated edition. New York: Cooper Square. Peterson, Oscar, with Palmer, Richard. 2002. A Jazz Odyssey: The Life of Oscar Peterson. New York: Continuum. .