One of the most insane shreds of all time:
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- čas přidán 24. 09. 2022
- Score transcribed by Adam Rybovic
Pianist: Oscar Peterson
Music: Oscar Peterson - Mirage
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#oscar #peterson #mirage #piano #shredding #virtuoso
In his biography on Hulu, when asked if he wanted to impress his contemporaries with his virtuosity he said "no, I wanted to frighten them" and probably did.
Friendly competition was always good for music. It brought out the best in all who took music seriously.
Thanks for the nod to the documentary. I will watch it!
Had no idea Hulu had a doc on him - Ty!
So do what Art Tatum did to him
@@sacrilegiousboi978Except that he surpassed Art Tatum
iv'e never seen a video title with "most insane" phrase that was so justified
"One of the most"
The more important question is: is this enjoyable?
@@matthiasreisinger5516 the answer is yes
Actuals insanity❤
@@matteojack_5950 not really. A but scruffy and just a hash up of tunes hardly real music like Liszt piano
the last seconds were so insane that the recording was just broken
Time itself flexed for a second there. What a player.
@@user-vq1fh7nw9v non symmetry at its extreme, very bad technique.
@@eaea2332 You must be out of your mind?!
@@eaea2332 Woah, are you crazy!?
I´m a prof. pianist and I know quite a few colleagues. And everyone of them was about to give up his profession after listening to Oscar Peterson in concert.
It´s not only his virtuosity or his anatomy (left hand span) that´s unbelievable, it´s his lightning-fast planning what to play next what´s even more jaw dropping. And that means that his mental precondition might have been even more exceptional than his sheer technical abilities.
Astute comment.
Obviously talking about jazz pianists not pianists in general
@@ciararespect4296 Both.
@@anonymusum from that comment I deduce you're not a prof pianist at all then and just masquerading as many do on yt
He wasn't a good classical pianist at all. The techniques are completely different. You've honestly no idea. No doubt you'll reply but it won't be factual or honest
No offense
@@ciararespect4296 I guess, you even don´t know classical pianists. Most of them admired Oscar or Art Tatum, Horowitz even invited him and asked him to improvise about *Tea for Two*. It´s not about the technique at all. It´s about the ability to improvise, to have the fantasy and inspiration to play freely over harmonies or themes. When my piano prof. in the conservatory found out that I sometimes played in jazz bands he asked me to show him some typical licks of mine and to harmonize some well known pieces with more jazzy chords. - I guess you have to learn quite a lot.
His technique was out of this world
Yes it was! And he still thought of Art Tatum as God. He didn't need to! :)
An this hands were big; that also probably helped!
I can play my radio and youtube video's!
@@AlbertoSegovia. Yeah, he had really big hands. I can reach an 11th. Oscar could reach a 12th. Fats Waller could reach a 13th. And George Shearing, the blind English jazz pianist said that shaking hands with Fats was like "grabbing a bunch of bananas, LOL! Man, crazy...
@@danwaldis4553 but Tatum was damn close.
I’ve been playing piano for 12 years now and this is 100% one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen.
25 years on, still true
You should see Art Tatum ...
I literally thought it was him when I saw the thumbnail but quickly realized it wasn't@@iianneill6013
Try marc andre hamelin alkan etc
35 years in can play some of these licks but it still baffles the mind Oscar Peterson was the most. 🎹🔥
Had a chance to see him in concert in 1968. A high school teacher said to me "you should go hear him, you may not get this chance again. Fifty years from now you can tell your granchildren you saw the great Oscar Peterson in person."
'Pfttt", I snorted.
Fifty years later I said to my grandchild "I once had the chance to see the great Oscar Peterson in person but passed on it. Thats what being a teeny-bopper will get you."
Oh my god I could shake teenage you wow what a fuckup
We've all got stories like that my man, don't sweat it. Mine include Getz, Miles, Ella and Cab.
I had a chance to see Joe Pass at a tiny little club on campus when I was in college and didn’t go. I was a foolish young man!
@@ckallaher Ouch, man! Yeah, they hurt...forever...!
My mum & dad seen him in concert.They probably had the same view.All the jazz greats came to europe in the 50's less prejudice.Denmark was a popular destination.I read miles davis's autobiography and when he was in Denmark a couple had brought their disabled child to see him,sat in the front row.He said I couldn't help but play my ass off that night.
Always a pleasure. The thing about Oscar (and Pat Martino on guitar) is not that they are playing millions of notes, but that they all mean something. May their souls rest in peace.
My favorite guitarists even in metal have the same quality.
@@calebbean1384 like comparing a crayon drawing to Rembrandt
Yes. They all mean something. That's a deal maker for me when I listen to jazz.
Tell me ,what's the meaning of the 7th sixteenth in bar 77?
Kind of like Thelonious Monk in reverse.
I briefly met Oscar Peterson inside the Royal York Hotel. Warm and friendly he said 'Hello'. He recorded songs that are more gospel than jazz with the most beautiful chord arrangements I have ever heard.
I agree. Oscar Peterson's chord structures mesmerize! Blues, jazz, gospel and R&B all grew out of the same cultural experience, so the chord sequences are often similar--capturing the same emotion, just at a different tempo. Of course, Mr. Peterson originated in Jamaica, but the experience mimicked the US.
@@emilerose1424 Not Jamaica. Born and raised in Canada.
Peterson was born in Montreal, Quebec, to immigrants from the West Indies (Saint Kitts and Nevis and the British Virgin Islands);[7] His mother, Kathleen, was a domestic worker; his father, Daniel, worked as a porter for Canadian Pacific Railway and was an amateur musician who taught himself to play the organ, trumpet and piano. Peterson grew up in the neighbourhood of Little Burgundy in Montreal. It was in this predominantly black neighbourhood that he encountered the jazz culture. At the age of five, Peterson began honing his skills on trumpet and piano, but a bout of tuberculosis when he was seven prevented him from playing the trumpet again, so he directed all his attention to the piano. His father was one of his first music teachers, and his sister Daisy taught him classical piano. Peterson was persistent at practising scales and classical études.
As a child, Peterson studied with Hungarian-born pianist Paul de Marky, a student of István Thomán, who was himself a pupil of Franz Liszt, so his early training was predominantly based on classical piano. But he was captivated by traditional jazz and boogie-woogie and learned several ragtime pieces. He was called "the Brown Bomber of the Boogie-Woogie". (Wikipedia)
@@JB--- You're right. I heard Oscar Peterson in an interview talk about the West Indies and I associated that with Jamaica, but he was talking about his parents being from the West Indies. Thanks for the correction.
@@emilerose1424 no problem. Yes, they are close to Jamaica. I just found it interesting and thought I'd share. Good video, huh? :D
@@JB--- thats what im talkin about J B . . East coast Canada .
Man really hit some of those tenths in the bass like they were nothing
That's why Oscar Peterson loved playing the Bosendorfer Imperial 290 - it has 4 extra keys on the bass ends, so there are 92, not 88 keys. (They even make a 97 key piano)
Bonkers, bro. Tenths for days.
Good thing his fingers were not too big if you look the size of his hands
Perfect hands for a MASTER pianist.
He had a 13 note reach with his left hand
That’s how most of the better pop and jazz pianists of the 1920s (well, those with larger hands) were able to play. This style of bass movement fell out of fashion after 1945, but some pianists continued to play it of course.
Polyrhythms on a piano, absurd limb independence and a mind/hand connection that was 5G before there was a net. Seeing him live was one of the most mind boggling events of my musical listening life.
Yes. I saw the trio (w. NHØP) in Pori Jazz in the eighties. Mind-blowing 90 minutes. Gotta admit though that a Zappa gig (Wackerman on drums) was even more insane.
There are no polyrhythms here.
@@0live0wire0 Maybe he just talks about Oscar Peterson in general, not just this video
@@imthezongz heavy. 🍉
@@0live0wire0 But it sounds complex, so it's obviously polyrhythms... and stuff. Duh
That IS genius. And his left leg seemed to think it was his third hand. Wonderful, thank you!!
Mind-boggling. Peterson was likely one of the best in human history.
@@prometheusrex1👍!
The guy stretches 10ths like nothing happens
What is stretching a tenth?
@@dspsblyuth it means reaching two notes that are 16 semitones apart (the 10th interval) at the same time, with one hand. Most pianists struggle with this, it’s a very difficult interval to hit because most people’s hands simply aren’t big enough😅 and this guy is playing them like it’s nothing.
@@mr.s6661 he stretched 16 keys with one hand?
@@dspsblyuth well yes, sixteeen white and black keys combined. In reality it’s like stretching across 9 white keys in total, which is still insane😄
@@mr.s6661 It should be pointed out that not all tenths are created equal. Minor tenths are of course much easier to reach than major tenths. You can go off the edge for white-to-white majors (whether or not you consider that cheating). Black-to-black major (there’s only one) is much easier than white-to-blacks, and black-to-white majors are most difficult of all. (Theoretically there are augmented tenths as well, but let’s not go into that.)
It wasn't speed for the sake of speed. It was ALWAYS Melodic and Musical!
I agree. Speed is one thing. Musicality was enhanced by the speed.
Yes probably lots of musicians today have the technical ability. But what makes it special is his enthusiasm which boils out of his music, which is matchless.
@@HansBaier ABSOLUTELY! Glad you enjoyed it.
To be fair, any video of Oscar is the craziest shred ever.
One of the greatest musicians to ever live, and by all accounts a super nice guy. Hats off to Oscar Peterson.
Saw him in concert at Roy Thompson Hall in the late 1980s. Perfect seating, in the Mezzanine over the LH side of the stage. We were actually looking down on his right shoulder and could see both hands on the keyboard. We could also hear him humming along. Astonishing, the best live jazz performance I've ever seen or will ever see.
He was sweating heavily, so there was a second stool to his left, piled with hand towels. While his right hand was working away, from time to time his left hand would grab a towel and he would mop his brow, toss the towel upstage, and then his left hand would drop back into the tune without any interruption.
Kudos to the person that transcribed this!
I second to that.
You're welcome
Kudos to whoever transcribed this!! Wow!
The transcription is superlative! Not good or great. Superlative, It's not just the notes. It's dynamics and rhythms too.
He's doing the lord's work. Can't even comprehend the level of patience and dedication it required
Thank you. Shame the uploader didn't credit.
@@arybovic Are you the one with the golden ears who transcribed this?
Exactly. Not enough credit given for this insane transcription!!!
CBC Canada have a lot of recordings of Ocar Peterson, and when he passed away, they played many of them. I remember one where Oscar was up to his usual excellent playing, but about 2/3 of the way through the piece he just took off like a 747. Climbed to a whole new level. It was just phenomenonal. You could almost hear the afterburners. He brought a lot beauty to the world.
not to step on the toes of the king , but that young Diana Krall did a damn cool version of NightTrain there round 10 years ago . chec it .
Saw Oscar Peterson several times in the 1980s. Fantastic!
Me too.
how old are you?
@@ha-u-rupaiaymbon5824 Oscar Peterson and Milt Jackson played a lot of small venues in the 80s.
@@timtatum1 damn really? I couldn't tell
Nice! Probably his best era
The shredding is impressive, but what's really insane are his rhythm & the gorgeous harmonies/melodies he plays.
That 10th in the left hand, in a stride with that kind of speed
I think Rachmaninoff has found a match
And their daddy is Art Tatum
@@AlbieLudiScoffi
Rach AND Volodya loved Art Tatum! 🎼🎶🎹🔥😎👍👏💝
Rachman wasn' t he Jerry LEE Lewis' s step brother .
While I can understand that this is probably not easy. I think knowing how to play piano would make this way more impressive. Kind of like when you see someone speedrun a game you play. To those who don’t understand what’s going on, they are like “ oh that’s cool.” But you are like…. DO YOU KNOW HOW FREAKING CRAZY IT IS WHAT HE JUST DID!”😂
More like knowing how to play any instrument gives you some insight on how sky high this is.
As a pianist, I can assure you that nothing except for the most challenging concert etudes in the classical piano repertoire even come close to this level of playing - when you factor in that this is all improvised it’s even crazier
I did play piano for around 15 years, played like a cross between Duke Ellington and Keith Green. And my jaw is on the floor and I'm panting hard after hearing this. What Oscar did is truly insanely good.
Piano players will be looking at the unbelievable things the left hand is doing. That stride playing has never been surpassed.
Art. Tatum. !!!
@@skierpage Without Art Tatum, there would be no Oscar Peterson...& I know the story about how a young Oscar ran crying to his room to cry after his dad played him an Art Tatum recording, Oscar initially thinking it was two pianists rather than one...I see it as Oscar standing on the shoulders of giants such as Tatum.
@@zivkovicable Hah. Your comment reminds me of when I played some Cecil Taylor for my Dad - he also was sure it was two pianists.
And transcribed by a great soul.
He sure frightens me! Seriously, he makes me glad I'm alive to enjoy his incredible playing. I had a ton of his records and I think, in my opinion, he's the greatest that ever lived.
It’s not just his skill but man oh man can he play it pretty too! For the other readers out there check out his tune “You Look Good To Me” as one of the many examples of such.
Oscar once famously said that the only piano player that scared him was Art Tatum.
@@scottholloway6873 I can understand that. Those two were in a class by themselves.
What makes Oscar stand out from other virtuoso jazz pianists is his incredible swing.
Oscar...saw him many times over the decades. Still unsurpassed in many ways.
This man was a genius.
Finally, one of these music clip videos where the video actually justifies the title! Oscar Peterson is always an amazing choice. He has more talent in his left pinky than I have in my entire body, and I adore him for it. He's also an absolute class act, highly intelligent, wonderfully cultured, and just an overall good guy! He can sing very well too! His interviews are incredibly insightful and always worth the watch.
If Oscar Peterson is goals, you'll always have something to work towards! 💯❤️
Also, thank you for sharing!
Holy shit. This dude's talent and skills are insane. I can't comprehend what's on the screen right now like, what!
It not only the unbelievable technique. It's that the solo is an act if virtuosity AND still is so inspired, and meaningful. It's just unreal! ❤😮
A virtuoso in each hand
He studied classical in his early years. It is that technique you develop from playing scales, arpeggios and chords with extreme precision which helped set the foundation for Oscar's unparalleled virtuosity, but there is something even more, it is his drive, the wanting so much to express a musical idea that nothing would stop him. Is is It is indeed a beautiful thing and what we see in all the great composers and musicians thru the centuries.
This guy was absolute BEAST. Its like he took all Tatum, Joplin, Powel and Garland artistry and mastered it
Simply a gift watching Oscar Peterson play the piano!
When you see someone jumping around with tenths you start wondering why pianos don't come in different sizes.
If you haven't already seen it already, Lionel Yu has a great video called "Piano's Darkest Secret" which discusses how the standard key width came to be and how it negatively affects the vast majority of pianists.
@@inigo4937 thanks for the suggestion. Will look it up.
There is a 7/8ths size piano out there. As a piano teacher I really wish it was more common, because the repertoire in classical and jazz is so prohibitive to many
Why doesn't somebody invent the 20 yard long hundred yard race track and give me a chance?
@@johnbishop5316 Because racing is a competition and playing the piano is not.
My brother and I saw Oscar Peterson play in North Vancouver at a hotel lounge in the 1980's. There was hardly anybody there so we had good seats, and they also had a mirror hanging above the grand piano so you could clearly see his hands move. And of course, as this video demonstrates, he was fantastic. One of the best ever at this type of piano playing.
Oscar Peters on is an absolute legend.
this kinda energy is what we need in everyone!!!
No
sadly lacking in jazz these days.
this used to be our norm ,our entertainment , our music every sunday nite on ed sullivan or through out the week on CBC . louie Armstrong .buddy rich , gene cruppa , herb albert . willie dixon , count basie ,artie shaw , etta james ,ella fitzgerald , Frank n Dean . wes montgomery , chuc berry , coleman hawkins , john coltrane , myles 50 s stuff , im missing more than im mentioning , but this was our standard .what we had as Music compare that to whats on the radio today , not much wonder things have gone down the slippery slope . so when yur talkin to an old fart .this is where his perspective is comin from . go home n practice .
This was one of the most impressive things I have ever seen a human do.
He gets paid by the note.
LOL 😁😁😁😁😁🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
No doubt Oscar would like your comment!
You know its a real musician when they are uncontrollably humming when playing their instrument
Glen Gould would do this all the time.
@@OneWayToPeaceOrthodoxyI was getting ready to say the same thing!
Mind blown. Title fully justified.
Beyond belief. Such talent
Sounds so similar to Kasputin. Virtuosic jazz piano is what we need more of!
They don't make 'em like that any more! That kind of improvisation melts the brain! All hail, Oscar!
You aware of young improv keyboardists like Jacob Collier, Cory Henry, Hiromi Uehara?
I've never seen someone just casually play tenths like that.
He had the hands, so freaking what.
@@NeverTalkToCops1 many pianists can't reach that.
All the old school stride players, James P Johnson, Willie the lion Smith, Luckey Roberts, Fats Waller, Art Tatum, had huge hands and could play tenths with ease.
Peterson attacks the piano. . .and it responds. Incredible. Showing the music just makes it more incredible
I feel a unique combination of awe and some kind of terror at the idea that human beings are actually capable of something like this.
Exactly
At least he broke a sweat, but I think that was just from the lights. He’s one of the few musicians about whom it can truly be said there was no one better. And if you haven’t seen it, be sure to check out Dick Cavett’s interview with him. They could have charged tuition for that one.
OMG!! Astonishing. The left hand stride blew me away. Easily my favorite Jazz pianist of all time.
Truly the greatest jazz pianist of all time ❤
Absolutely not! He is a stupid show-off with NO STYLE!
Bud Powell
Lennie Tristano!!!
Tatum?
Bill Evans
Even Mozart would be like "Damn, I'm not following that."
My parents were courting in the 1940s and early 1950s. They lived in Toronto and used to tell me when I was growing up about going to see Peterson play in clubs in his home town of Montreal and the Laurentian Mountain resorts north of there.
the guy that transcribed that music is also a genius!!!!!!
Would have been easier to transcribe if the video was recording from a "bird's eye view" of the keyboard, but even just seeing the performance from the side (as in this video) maybe helped a little, compared to transcribing from the audio alone with no video at all to help.
@@gregcarter8656 So you're saying that because of the fact that it was not audio alone, we all could have transcribed it ?
@@IAmLookingForwardToDeath
No. That's not what I wrote. Read my comment again. Carefully. Pay attention to the words "maybe helped a little". I learned how to play the head of Donna Lee on the guitar by watching Joe Pass play it (in person). Merely hearing it, without seeing it, would not have helped me.
He isn't even thinking about it you can't think that fast.
Once I had the pleasure listening to Oscar Peterson live, at the Blue Note Jazz Club in NewYork, while on a business trip. I thought WOW after the first half. Then I realised in the second half that was just the warmup!
I can see where the late great Keith Emerson got his inspiration from. Because he was one of the greatest, but Oscar Peterson is the pinnacle of piano player's.
Oscar Peterson, pure magic! If you want chills listen to him do a rendition of Antonio Carlos Jobim's 'Wave' the second half of the cut, the keys must have been smoking hot.
And he could be exquisitely delicate, also.
One of those things that if you haven't seen it you can't believe it.
Even having seen it, it still remains unbelievable.
This is his original Mirage, the first piece of music I heard him playing in the 1970ties (in a shorter version, maybe around 1974, in a broadcast of a duo concert with Joe Pass (Mirage, Who can I turn to, Stella by starlight; I have been searching for a recording since then.
It was so impressive/fascinating, I became an Oscar fan immediatly.
This man was a true virtuoso!
My God. One of the most beautiful and virtuoso solo I've ever heard... Thank you.
What a legend. I'm sure there are all sorts of things named after him in his hometown. Like a whole metro station or something!
And the way he bent. the string at the end is phenomenal.
Oscar Peters was truly a talented man
And you are a master of understatement.
@@thedolphin5428 Yeah, he even understated Oscar’s last name.
Ya think?
This is personality, technique and hard work. Amazing pianist!
I know he can sing very well, but I adore the grunts as he plays.
Always my Fav. Read his book. He was amazing. He was professional unless you were a professional show off. Then he would put you in your place. One of the greats.
The Mantle of Art Tatum Fell Upon His True Successor , Oscar Peterson !!!....
I’m sure Art Tatum is one of the great piano players of all time. In part because Oscar Peterson thought so. But for my money, Oscar Peterson is better, because he plays with all of the precision and speed, but about 10 times the soul. all I get from Tatum is speed. I don’t know if anybody ever danced to an Art Tatum tune.
@@johnsrabelisten to Battery bounce
Ling Ling will be proud
2set fans everywhere lol
he's not proud because he play too slow
@@achinpajou dude how about you try to improvise on stage faster than this
Wow! I have always been in absolute awe of musicians like this one.
This is an incredible clip of Oscar’s playing, but what’s really insane is that he’s played much crazier things than this!!!
Funny seeing an old man with that much energy and stamina at the keys
it's amazing isn't it?
Age if you want is only a number
Or not...if you want
What age does one have to be to be "old" to you?
He was certainly not an “old man” then.
No one shreds it like Oscar Peterson.
Phineas Newborn
"Shred" , was a term that came out of the 80's , to describe guitar soloing.
@@Bobby007D Cool, got it.
Absolutely unique, no one else even remotely comes close.
Saw him in the 80’s and the opener was Stephane Grappelli-2 absolute masters of their craft😊😊
Wow. Lucky guy!
The god of the jazz piano
Jazz pianists are the best enjoying this freedom 💗
I was lucky enough to hear and see him play at the Monterey Jazz Festival..one of the last times he played before passing on. What a force of nature, and a real treat for me, a jazz piano player! Thanks for this! Great stuff!!!
A genius brain like a mathematician with the heart of a poet.
Bombs Away! Most excellent performance. Pink Key, thanks for your post. And, RIP Oscar.
He used 1 and 4 on some of the tenths what the heck??? He must have had stupendously large hands, perhaps as large as Rachmaninov’s.
That's fairly normal over black notes, particularly (and also over legato runs) - lose minimal spread at full extension between the fourth and fifth fingers except that fourth fingers have the added benefit of naturally being further up in the keys.
Definitely recommend trying 8th+ runs where you swap to fourth on black notes and you'll see how much easier it is without really sacrificing hand span.
I'm getting a little ragtime vibes from time to time which is very nice
I loved hearing Oscar discussing music ALMOST as much as hearing him making music! What a great, great mind! 💝🙏🎼🎹🎶
aw someone finally posted mirage, one of my favorites, good stuff
Back in the eighties my husband was fortunate to watch a concert in which Oscar was the star performer. This was in Calgary, Alberta , Canada. He was shocked when Oscar walk on stage all by himself. Oscar was the only one and played solo piano for an hour and a half, no percussion or even a bass player. After watching this You Tube performance, it's no wonder he was by himself. He didn't need anyone else!
I was 21 and Saw him at salle Pleyel in.paris in trio ....one of thé greattttttttest Moments in my musical expérience. Bless his soul 🙏🏻
Unbelievable, seriously unbelievable.
Beyond insane.
It’s amazing what a human being is capable of.
Yeppers. And to think that all of his ability and downright genius was at one time, contained in something smaller than a grain of sand.
@@violinhunter2 No, just absolutely NO. The ability and downright genius evolved out of many years of endless practice and studying. Work ethic is not genetic, it is learned.
@@violinhunter2 the more you write, the dumber it gets. Just stop.
@@mikemartin5749 I have a mental deficiency - my IQ is around 87. You are just ... I don't know. I just don't know.
@@violinhunter2 based on your vocabulary and historical knowledge, I'd guess your IQ is very high. Book smarts. What you are severely lacking is common sense. If you truly believe in god, you are nowhere close to being as smart as you think you are. When you wrote "I don't know, I just don't know", that was by far the most accurate thing you have posted here. None of us know. Some of us have the courage to acknowledge and admit it.
Wish I was old enough to hear both Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum in person! Extremely rare talents we'll never see again 😢
one of the goats for sure. his album with ella is one of my all-time favorites!
Don't forget, that Oscar possessed absolute pitch, and that also made his improvising and planning ahead much easier. He just knew instantly any note or any chord, how it sounds.
The only jazz pianist ever that makes Tatum look ordinary.
He and Powell are the onliest to ever dare match A T.
@@diegorosso9401 count Basie ?
@@peterbetts858 Great player, but didn't have the chops of Peterson or Tatum.
I would have loved to have seen Oscar just once. Every performance is so different, and yet so intimately intense in so many ways. This was beyond that ❤
Mindbending contemporaneous ambidexterity, melodic, innovative and musical. Pure brilliance. 🙌🏽