Oscar Peterson
The Man and His Jazz
by Jack Batten
This biography of the great jazz pianist Oscar Peterson is rich with history of 20th Century Jazz. A young reader will learn not only about Peterson's life and the importance of his contributions to jazz innovation and recording, but also the relevance of many other great Jazz musicians with whom he collaborated over his career (Duke Ellington, Art Tatum,Nat "King" Cole, Frank Sinatra, Joe Pass and more). The reader will even encounter the influence of Classical composer and legendary pianist Franz Liszt. The author addresses darker details in Peterson's life as well, ones that many young readers may find relevant and meaningful. Peterson's encounters with racism throughout his life, his own ill health, ill health within his family, and Peterson's struggles with drugs are all relayed in this biography. Relevant photographs are placed evenly throughout the book (about every seven pages), which will be helpful to certain young readers.
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