Monday Music Appreciation #10 -- A rose for Oscar Peterson

Oscar Peterson roses

Oscar Peterson is blooming in my yard. Or rather, the rose named after him is.

One of my rosebushes didn't overwinter, so when we bought the shrubs for our front yard at the garden centre last month, I gravitated toward the Rose House... and was having a hard time deciding on which rosebush to choose as a replacement. Until I noticed Oscar Peterson...

The real Oscar Peterson was an incredible Canadian jazz musician. After my best friend, Cathy, learned to play his Hymn to Freedom for her dad's 80th birthday, she played it for me too. It was love at first listen.

Last fall, I got to hear the piece played live at a jazz evening at the Winspear, and that performance was the highlight of the night for me. It actually made me quite emotional, which is what often happens when I hear good music. 

I came home to read all about Oscar Peterson according to the Canadian Encyclopedia, learning more about him and his music, and spending time listening to other online recordings of an amazing musician. But Hymn to Freedom remains my favourite.

So it was a no-brainer to bring home a hardy Canadian rosebush named after him. 

If you've never heard Hymn to Freedom or seen Oscar play, here's a treat! Enjoy!