On August 11, 18 and 25 Ken Dryden will feature the jazz giant Oscar Peterson on Timeless Jazz. The shows will feature music from throughout Peterson's career as well as segments of Ken's recent interview with Oscar. Chattanooga, TN – For as long as I've been involved in radio I have wanted to interview Oscar Peterson, but the opporitunity eluded me until the recent publication of his autobiography A Jazz Odyssey-- The Life Of Oscar Peterson. On July 1, 2002 I reached him at his home in Canada; the result was a nearly 45 minute interview that is among the most enjoyable I've done in my nearly 15 years of producing Timeless Jazz on WUTC-FM.
Peterson, who began to take the jazz world by storm with his 1949 appearance at the "Jazz at the Philharmonic" concert at Carnegie Hall, has built a discography that would be hard for any jazz musician to match. Oscar reflected on a variety of subjects, including some of his favorite recording partners: Joe Pass, Clark Terry, Ray Brown, Niels Peterson, Count Basie, and Ella Fitzgerald, to name only a few. We also discussed his work as a composer, his experiments with other instruments and his working relationship and friendship with jazz impressario Norman Grantz, founder of both the Verve and Pablo record labels. With a sizeable collection of LPs and CDs by Oscar Peterson, as well as a number of discs that feature him in all-star jam sessions or as a sideman with another musician, it is difficult for me to limit the scope of each of the three programs highlighting his long career. I may end up posting a list of the relevant records on our website and take some requests, but this will require that request be sent at least a week prior to the date of broadcast, since Timeless Jazz is pre-recorded.
If you want to learn more about this jazz giant, tune in to
Timeless Jazz from 8-10 PM EST right here on NPR Music 88.1 FM or via our streaming webcast.
Ken Dryden
Timeless Jazz Producer