I’m a few months late in acknowledging the great pianist Oscar Peterson’s centennial. It’s fascinating to me how controversial his non-controversial approach to music is in some circles. Nobody can deny that he is a major figure with Tatum-esque virtuosity and a distinctive conception that made him superlatively in-demand. That said virtuosity was often quite evident is thought by some to be gratuitous, and that said conception was not particularly edgy is thought by some to be formulaic or indicative of artistic conservatism. But just as I would not denigrate a French chef for not branching out into Japanese food, I see no need to negatively judge someone for enjoying the view from the mountaintop that he alone reached. If it’s not your thing, cool. And if it is your thing (or, like me, if it’s among your things) then celebrating the joy, command, and meticulousness of his music is always a good thing. Here are 10 tracks that I have particularly enjoyed through the years, presented in chronological order.

1 ) “I Got Rhythm” from This Is Oscar Peterson and other compilations (1945)

This trio performance is a lot of fun and while maybe not entirely indicative of his subsequent style (occupying more of a boogie-woogie/pre-bop piano showcase lane) it is really fascinating to hear the level of facility he was demonstrating while still a teenager.

2 ) “Blues for the Count and Oscar” from Baise Jazz (and other compilations)by Count Basie (1952)

More folks I know are familiar with the relaxed, collegial collaborations that Oscar and Count Basie (a fascinating pair in that their rhythmic conceptions are so compatible and yet the levels of virtuosity that tend to be evident in their piano styles are so different). I love those, and am also partial to these early guest appearances by Oscar (and Ray Brown, who also gets a solo, as do tenor saxophonists Paul Quinchette and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis) on Basie recordings, with the latter sliding over to organ. This is a great early example of Oscar’s taste and willingness to back off when the situation demanded.

3 ) “I Hear Music” from Oscar Peterson Sings (and various compilations)(1953)

This one is a great example of Oscar wearing his Nat “King” Cole influence on his sleeve. His King Cole-inspired trio with Brown and Barney Kessel is delightfully showcased on this swinging arrangement, and we even get to enjoy Oscar’s relaxed vocal style.  

4 ) “Date with Oscar” from Lionel Hampton Quintet by Lionel Hampton (1954)

By contrast with example 1 above, this one is a prime example of the style that a more mature/self-actualized Oscar brought to the table on uptempo swingers. If ever there was a performance that could be characterized as a romp, this is it, and the seeming effortless with which Oscar cruises along (as do Hampton and the other featured soloist, guitarist Herb Ellis) is a trademark.  

5 ) “What’s New” from Louis Armstrong Meets Oscar Peterson (1957)

There is a stunning number of examples of Oscar serving as an accompanist to vocalists and his capacity to be supportive without neutering his sound is consistently admirable. From my favorite record in this vein, here Oscar accompanies the great Louis Armstrong in a patient, gentle duet.

6 ) “It’s Allright With Me” from Oscar Peterson Plays the Cole Porter Songbook (1959)

I enjoy all of the “songbook” albums Oscar made around this time, and this was the first that I really sunk my teeth into. This is an early example of his relationship with drummer Ed Thigpen, who joined Ray Brown in the second major iteration of his trio, moving on from the King Cole style instrumentation to the piano/bass/drums format that Errol Garner and others subsequently popularized. This performance is characteristically succinct and characteristically relaxed in presenting a bright tempo as if no big deal.

7 ) “I Want A Little Girl” from Oscar Peterson Trio Plus One (1964)

Looking through the list of Oscar’s collaborators reveals a lot of folks associated with particularly joyous music – Ella Fitzgerald, Milt Jackson, Benny Carter, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, and so on. And it doesn’t get any more joyous than Clark Terry, even when he and Oscar are tackling a slow blues tune, as they do here.

8 ) “Caravan” from The Giants (1974)

One of the first Oscar records I really dug into was this one that my freshman year housemate (and fellow Canadian, thus duty-bound to admire Oscar) turned me on to. Back to the drum-less format, this is another burning romp, with Oscar, Ray Brown, and Joe Pass demonstrating their enormous rhythmic and technical command.

9 ) “Teenager” from Night Child (1979)

Hearing Oscar play funky blues on electric piano with funk accompaniment by folks very much associated with traditional, swinging, acoustic jazz (Joe Pass, Louie Bellson, and Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on electric bass) could easily go in the “novelty” or “ill-advised crossover attempt” categories, and yet this is so grooving that instead it is a case study in continuity.

10 ) “SKJ” from The Very Tall Band: Live at the Blue Note (1998)

Old friends Milt Jackson and Ray Brown, along with youngster Karriem Riggins on drums, join Oscar for a hard-swinging interpretation of one of Bags’s classic tunes from the early ‘60s. I can’t speak for others, but if I didn’t know he was still enduring the lingering effects of a stroke, I certainly wouldn’t ever detect it from listening to his flowing work here.