A THANKSGIVING n˚20: HYMN TO FREEDOM - OSCAR PETERSON (from NIGHT TRAIN, 1962) LIVE in DENMARK 1964 {Ray Brown, bass/ Eddie Thigpen, drums}
Definitely one of my proudest people to name check as Canadian, though sometimes that seems beside the point when he is basically a World Heritage Site and in the conversation for GOAT (greatest of all time), in terms of jazz pianists.
Like a clarion beam of light, Hymn To Freedom is not false advertising. It's like a life manual. Be patient. Keep your head up. It's so moving it's like a whole sports movie in 7 minutes. The song moves like a frog in a pot. So smooth and irresistible at the beginning. But once you hit 4:50, tidal wave swell and before you know it, there's flames all around you and the water is boiling. I like to think just after 5:50, that's a guy just dropping a mic because he forgot to breathe. At least that's where I get to every time I hear this.
Oscar is so delicate and ferocious at the same time. So often crystal clear virtuosity has come at the expense of the grime that made it great. Like seeing a posh London actor trying to convince you they're a cockney mill worker. But Oscar gets you from both sides, celestially eviscerating the keyboard. Wish I could have seen the man to tip my hat before he passed.