OSCAR PETERSON: BLACK+WHITE – A Review Of The New Hulu Documentary

Introduction

A native of Montreal and long-time resident of New Orleans, the late Oscar Peterson remains one of the greatest jazz pianists the world has ever known. The 7-time Grammy-winning pianist and composer passed away in 2007. Fittingly, the Melbar Entertainment Group and director Barry Avrich premiered Oscar Peterson: Black + White at the Toronto International Film Festival this past September.

This loving look at the late jazz icon is filled with so much music from this virtuosic performer, that it’s actually referred to by the filmmakers as a “docu-concert.” Cinema Scholars reviews this new documentary that dives into the seven-decade career of Oscar Emmanuel Peterson. Coming in at just over 81 minutes, the film is a fast and wild ride.

Beginnings

Oscar Peterson was born to immigrant parents from the West Indies in Montreal, Quebec, on August 15, 1925. He grew up in the Little Burgundy area outside of Montreal. A mostly African-American neighborhood, it was here that he first experienced the joys of jazz and the culture that surrounded it. At an early age, Peterson started playing both trumpet and piano but soon switched strictly to the piano as his prowess grew.

While the young Peterson was trained on classical piano, he was enraptured by traditional jazz as well as ragtime. He also was a student of the “Boogie-Woogie” sound. By the age of nine, Peterson was already playing at the level of most seasoned professionals. At the age of fourteen, Oscar Peterson won a national music competition organized by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Fame was rapidly approaching.

Winning the CBC competition had cemented Peterson’s celebrity status in Montreal’s jazz scene in the early 1940s. As a result, at the age of 17, Peterson dropped out of high school to play full-time in Johnny Holmes’s popular dance band. This lasted from 1943 to 1947. Peterson’s father Daniel, a strict disciplinarian, while not happy about his son’s decision, told him at the time:

“If you’re going to go out there and be a piano player, don’t just be another one. Be the best”

Canadian Star

Peterson made his debut recordings in March 1945 for RCA Victor. These early recordings demonstrate Peterson’s prowess at the Boogie-Woogie style of jazz. Tracks such as The Sheik of Araby and I Got Rhythm earned him the nickname “the brown bomber of boogie-woogie.” Peterson would record extensively for RCA Victor between 1945 and 1949. The result of these recordings was Canada’s first homegrown jazz star.

The RCA Victor recordings along with Peterson’s consistent exposure on CBC Radio helped expedite his rising fame in Canada. By the close of the 1940s, Peterson had done just about all there was to do in Canada’s jazz market. Also, word of his immense talent had quickly spread to the US. After a tour of Canada, and seeing Peterson up close, iconic trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie stated to record producer Leonard Feather:

“There’s a pianist up here who’s just too much. You’ve never heard anything like it! We gotta put him in concert”

Coming To America

While Leonard Feather didn’t follow Dizzy’s sound advice, American jazz impresario and record producer Norman Granz did. In 1949, Granz was leaving Montreal, on his way to the airport, when he heard Peterson playing on the radio from the Alberta Lounge. He told the driver to change direction and immediately take him to the club. Soon after, Granz became Peterson’s manager, introducing him to the United States, and the world.

Granz decided that Peterson’s coming out party to US audiences should be at the Jazz at the Philharmonic (JATP) performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall in September 1949. Peterson would be playing with such legends as Charlie Parker, Roy Eldridge, Buddy Rich, and Lester Young.

Unfortunately, Granz was unable to obtain a work visa for Peterson on such short notice. As a result, Granz had Peterson seated in the audience, bringing him onstage as a ‘surprise guest.” It was here that Peterson performed with bassist Ray Brown for the first time. The result was seismic. DownBeat magazine wrote:

“…a young Canadian pianist stopped the Norman Granz Jazz at the Philharmonic concert dead cold in its tracks…”

Looking back, Peterson’s future was secured from this watershed event. His career trajectory took off in a way that is seldom seen in the world of jazz. There would be no more odd jobs or bad gigs. No more bland food or sub-standard hotel rooms. With Norman Granz as sponsor and mentor, the trio that Oscar Peterson formed in 1951 began touring the world’s premiere jazz establishments.

Career Achievements 

Peterson toured with JTAP from 1950 to 1952. His sensational performances both live and on record captured the imagination of American audiences. This was reflected by his standing in DownBeat magazine’s readers’ poll for the piano poll. He finished first place 15 times in 23 years: 1950–54, 1958–63, 1965–67, and 1972.

Legendary bassist Ray Brown would be a stalwart of Peterson’s groups for decades. They also were lifelong friends. Virtuoso guitarist Herb Ellis joined the trio in 1953. The Oscar Peterson trio consisting of Peterson, Brown, and Ellis was widely regarded by many as the best piano-bass-guitar trio of all time. This trio toured the world throughout the 1950s, often accompanying singer Ella Fitzgerald.

Peterson recorded Night Train in 1962 with his trio and it proved to be one of the pianist’s most commercially successful albums. Canadiana Suite in 1964 was also lauded by the critics. Between 1963 and 1968, Peterson recorded a series of successful solo albums and starting in the late 1960s through the early 1970s, recorded mostly in West Germany. It was here that he produced 4 Grammy-winning albums.

Despite being diagnosed with arthritis as a teenager, Oscar Peterson maintained a strenuous and rigorous international touring schedule. This routine lasted well into the 1980s. However, by the end of the decade, Peterson’s arthritis became overwhelming. Subsequently, he reduced his performance schedule significantly, only touring several weeks per year in Europe, Japan, and the US.

Golden Years and Legacy

In 1993, Peterson suffered a stroke while performing at the Blue Note. His left hand was especially affected. As a result, Peterson withdrew from his prior commitments and only resumed after a two-year recovery period. His inability to use his left hand became noticeable in future live performances. Still, he continued to tour and record music. Even with the use of only one hand, he was still way ahead of the competition.

Peterson performed at Carnegie Hall in 1995 and also at a tribute to him at New York City’s Town Hall in 1996. He was also nominated for another Juno Award in 1997. Peterson would sporadically perform for the rest of the decade, playing in Toronto, and occasionally at jazz festivals throughout European festivals. In 2001 Peterson toured Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. By this time, he had recorded over 130 albums under his own name.

Oscar Peterson died of kidney failure in his Mississauga home on December 27, 2007, at the age of 82. In a career spanning more than 60 years, he is considered one of the great jazz pianists in the history of the medium, playing thousands of concerts worldwide. An inspiration to aspiring pianists the world over, fellow jazz and funk icon Herbie Hancock once wrote:

“Oscar Peterson redefined swing for modern jazz pianists for the latter half of the 20th century…I consider him the major influence that formed my roots in jazz piano playing”

Black + White

Premiering in September 2021 at TIFF, Oscar Peterson: Black + White felt long overdue. Further, there have been numerous biographies on this jazz master over the years in both the printed and visual format. While this lean 82-minute music-filled love letter to Oscar Peterson may not have been necessary, it’s both visually and audibly stunning. Watching it makes you remember why you loved Peterson so much in the first place.

The film, as directed by Barry Avrich, is a combination of both standard documentary and musical tribute, weaving in and out of the two formats. Avrich deftly edits archival footage and interviews, cross-mixing them with live musical performances by Peterson’s contemporaries. Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Jon Batiste, Ramsey Lewis, Billy Joel, and Branford Marsalis are the talking heads that all sing Peterson’s praises.

Avrich also delves into Peterson’s interest in social justice as numerous jazz musicians of Peterson’s time faced consistent racism, especially when traveling throughout the southern United States. As a result of this experience, took the initiative and jumped into the fight for equal rights, creating “Hymn to Freedom.” Performed at Barack Obama’s inauguration, it is one of Peterson’s most celebrated works.

Criticisms

As a result of the short runtime of Oscar Peterson: Black + White there are only a few mentions with regards to the racism that Peterson faced throughout the course of his career and life. Avrich would have been better served diving deeper into Peterson’s time touring in the US during the period of segregation in the South, as well as the ways that he contributed towards the growing Civil Rights movement.

The documentary also addresses how a life spent predominately on the road affected Peterson’s personal life with regards to marriage and children, but it really only scratches the surface. There are interviews with Peterson’s daughters that clearly are getting at the fact that their father was not home very often, but it never really gets too in-depth. The whole thing seems a bit sanitized and rushed for time.

While the people that are interviewed for this documentary are all legends in their own right, none of them are actually connected to Peterson, musically, in any way. Further, these “experts” never really dive deep into the technical aspect of his playing. As a result, Peterson’s place in twentieth-century jazz is never really spelled out clearly. His innovations to the art form are never clearly defined.

In Conclusion

Oscar Peterson: Black + White is not the “tribute documentary” that a legend like Oscar Peterson deserves. However, it is well made and edited. The live clips of the master performing are worth the price of admission alone. However, the film doesn’t dive deep enough for hardcore fans existing fans. Nor does it really explain why Peterson was such an incredible musician.

Still, Avrich’s film is sharp and looks good. It’s yet another entry into the canon of people trying to coherently explain why one of the greatest jazz pianists was so great. The footage that Avrich puts together is impressive and clearly comes from a place of love and respect. One can only hope that one day we’ll have the 6-part Netflix documentary that true fans of Peterson have been waiting for.

Oscar Peterson: Black + White premiered at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. It’s being distributed in Canada by Bell Media as a Crave Original, and internationally by Fremantle Media. It’s currently available to stream on Hulu.

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