Oscar Peterson

Express To The Midi Links

Born in Montreal, August 15th,1925. Studied piano and trumpet at age 5, and was forced because of a lung ailment to give up the trumpet and continue his piano studies. He later attended the Montreal Conservatory of Music for a short period, but it was found that he prospered more readily under private tuition. He became a student of classical pianist Paul deMarkey, under whose guidance he remained during most of his high school days. In his mid-teens he won First Prize on the Ken Soble Amateur Show. As a result of this, he was then given his own weekly radio show over the CBC network, and became a regular guest on various radio shows such as the Happy Gang and the Light Up and Listen Show. He then spent five years with the Johnny Holmes orchestra in Montreal, and it was during this time that he began doing concert appearances throughout the major cities of Canada. It was also during this period that RCA Victor signed him up to make his first recordings. During these years which happened to be war years, he gave freely of his services and performed on innumerable troupe shows and bond rallies.

After the war and during the year 1947, Peterson formed his first trio in Montreal and played numerous nightclubs and concerts throughout the land. He also continued his activities on the Canadian networks. In 1950 Norman Granz the American impresario, persuaded Peterson to appear at a trial concert in Carnegie Hall in New York City which featured well established stars, for example Ella Fitzgerald, etc. He received rave reviews, and was persuaded to come to the United States and make numerous concert appearances. In 1952 he won his first of twelve Down Beat Awards as the best jazz pianist of the year. He has won, since that time, awards from the Metronome Magazine, numerous Playboy Awards as the musicians' musician, several awards in England, Japan, Germany, France, Belgium, to mention a few places. His recordings have remained constant sellers throughout the world, and he has headed various award winning trios which is still his primary occupation. In the year 1966 he composed a lengthy pictorial suite which he dedicated to his country of birth by titling it the 'Canadiana Suite'. In it he has tried to depict musically, scenes of his homeland. This Suite was recorded and has remained a constant seller throughout the world. Apart from his professional activities.

Peterson and his associates formed a school of music in Toronto known as the Advanced School of Contemporary Music which he headed for five years. The school drew students from all parts of the world and received numerous write-ups in various journals along with the fact that it was constantly visited by important and interested stars of the music world.
They operated the school without the benefit of a grant or any outside help and had to relinquish it due to the fact that their concert itinerary in various parts of the world was suffering by their absence. Being unable to continue the school did not deter Peterson from continuing to teach. He managed this by holding seminars in the various cities that the trio performed in. He was forced to turn down an offer by the German Educational Authority to conduct a summer seminar for them due to the reasons stated above.

Peterson has appeared on many television shows throughout Canada and the United States. He has been honored by luminaries such as Danny Kaye, Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, etc. In 1967 the CBC network paid tribute to him by devoting their Telescope television show to telling his life story.


This email from Roland "Canada" February 2012"

Hi Al,
I came across your site and was impressed with the Oscar Peterson midi files you have. I am working on a project at Roland and would be interested in getting a large collection of these midi files. How much would it cost per song, as these will be played on a digital piano that is on display as a loop. Obviously we would give credit for the arrangements/transcriptions to you. I would need the copyright info on each song for the appropriate mechanical licence to play these publicly. Thank you in advance for your efforts!
Best Regards,
Jeff
Jeff Harden, Piano Sales Specialist
http://www.roland.ca
Roland Canada Ltd.
170 Admiral Blvd
Mississauga ON L5T 2N6
jharden@roland.ca

Roland purchased all of the Oscar Peterson midi files that I created at that time.


All selections are available as midi, .pdf files, sheet music, recorded on cassette or CD. These samples have been altered. Purchased copies have additional features. You will hear enough of the song to give you a feel, about 16 meaures. The full midis are much longer.
To order anything by email click ---------> here
For a somewhat incomplete and out of date list of midi files click -------------------------> here


Many of the solos were taken from the book "Piano Signature Licks
Oscar Peterson Plays Standards
I have marked those selections with a star *.
The original transcriptions are by BRENT EDSTROM. The book is published by Hal Leonard and is available in music shops and on line.


MIDI LINKS

Just in case you are wondering.
When you hear a midi file, the sound is generated by your sound card.
When you hear an Mp3 file, the sound is what I recorded. Most of the mp3's are complete renditions.


Important Note!
The songs marked with * are NOT entire songs.
They are extracted fragments of Oscar Peterson Piano solos.


midi * All Of Me (Piano Solo)
As played on "A Jazz Portrait of Frank Sinatra"


midi All The Things You Are (Piano Solo)

mp3 All The Things You Are (Piano Solo)


midi * Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (Piano Solo)
As played by Oscar Peterson on "Rhythmania"


midi Cant Get Out Of This Mood (midified)

mp3 Cant Get Out Of This Mood my synths


midi (The) Continental (Piano Solo)

mp3 (The) Continental (Piano Solo) my synths


midi * Falling In Love With Love (Piano Solo)
As played by Oscar Peterson on "The London Concert Album"

midi * Fly Me To The Moon (Piano Solo)
As played by Oscar Peterson on "Tristeza On Piano"

mp3 Fly Me To The Moon (Piano Solo)


midi Georgia On My Mind (Piano Solo)

mp3 Georgia On My Mind (Piano Solo)


midi Gravy Waltz (Piano Solo)

mp3 Gravy Waltz (Piano Solo)


midi Hallelujah Time (Piano Solo)

mp3 Hallelujah Time (Piano Solo)


midi He Has Gone (Piano Solo)

mp3 He Has Gone (Piano Solo)


midi Hymn To Freedom (Piano Solo)

mp3 Hymn To Freedom (Piano Solo)


midi * I Love You (Piano Solo) As played on
"Oscar Peterson Trio, Bursting Out with the All Star Big Band"

midi * In A Mellow Tone (Piano Solo)
As played on "Exclusively For My Friends"


midi Isn't It Romantic (Piano Solo)

mp3 Isn't It Romantic (Piano Solo)

mp3 Isn't It Romantic (midified)


midi * It's All Right With Me (Piano Solo)
As played on "Jazz 'round Midnight"

midi * It's Only A Paper Moon (Piano Solo)
As played on "Oscar Peterson Plays The Harold Arlen Songbook"


midi John Hardy's Wife (midified - Piano, Bass, Guitar and Drums)

mp3 John Hardy's Wife


midi Lover (Piano Solo)

mp3 Lover (Piano Solo)

midi * My Heart Stood Still (Piano Solo)
As Played on The Jazz Soul Of Oscar Peterson


midi Night Train (Piano Solo)

mp3 Night Train (Piano Solo)


midi * On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Piano Solo)


midi Politics And Poker (Piano Solo)

mp3 Politics And Poker (Piano Solo)


midi Roundlay (Piano Solo)

mp3 Roundlay (Piano Solo)


midi Smedley's Blues (Piano Solo)

mp3 Smedley's Blues (Piano Solo)


midi Sushi (Piano Solo)

mp3 Sushi (Piano Solo)


midi Take The A Train (Piano Solo)

midi Take The A Train (midified) - Piano, Guitar, Bass

mp3 Take The A Train (midified)


midi Tangerine (Piano Solo)

mp3 Tangerine (midified)


midi That Old Black Magic (Piano Solo)

midi That Old Black Magic (midified)

mp3 That Old Black Magic (midified)


midi The Smudge (Piano Solo)

mp3 The Smudge (Piano Solo)


midi The Strut (Piano Solo)

mp3 The Strut (midified)


midi The Nearness Of You (Piano Solo)

mp3 The Nearness Of You (Piano Solo)


midi Things Aint What They Used To Be (Piano Solo)

midi Things Aint What They Used To Be (midified)

mp3 Things Aint What They Used To Be (midified)


midi Tico Tico (midified)

mp3 Tico Tico (midified)


midi Two Sleepy People (Piano Solo)

midi Two Sleepy People (midified)

mp3 Two Sleepy People (midified)

midi * When Lights Are Low (Piano Solo)
As played on "Oscar Peterson Plays Jazz Standards"


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