Oscar Peterson

The bright, tittering twinkle of Peterson's blindingly fast, liquid lines is on par with Art Tatum, and has made him one of the greatest of all jazz pianists. As one of Verve's house musicians, Peterson has backed a who's who of jazz for producer Norman Granz. He also set the standard for piano trio playing, originally forming a group with equally gifted and tasteful bassist Ray Brown and guitarists Barney Kessel and Herb Ellis. He later replaced guitar with drums (often played by Ed Thigpen), and Peterson's sound was copied by countless pianists with varying degrees of success. Equally at home in a solo setting or with an orchestra, Peterson filled any session in which he participated with effervescent joy and abundant technique -- coating everything in his sparkling, romantic and immutable manner of playing.