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The Best Of Oscar Peterson: Classics From The Legendary Jazz PianistFrom Count Basie’s plinky minimalism to bebopper Bud Powell’s high-velocity fusillades and the lush romantic reveries of Bill Evans, the pages of jazz history contain a multitude of influential piano players who cultivated a distinctive sound. But no list of historically important jazz pianists would be complete without the mighty Oscar Peterson, a formidable Canadian musician who in terms of sheer technique set an impossibly high bar that few could match. An early disciple of the jazz piano trio format pioneered by his idol Nat King Cole, Peterson blended ultra-speedy...

His death was confirmed by Hazel McCallion, mayor of Mississauga, Ontario, the Toronto suburb where Peterson lived. McCallion told The Associated Press that he died of kidney failure. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said he died Sunday. "He's been going downhill in the last few months, slowing up," McCallion said, calling Peterson a "very close friend." During an illustrious career spanning seven decades, Peterson played with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie. He is also remembered for touring in a trio with Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis on guitar in...