Gotta love YouTube. Fabulous Oscar Peterson clips! Incredible piano player. That “C Jam Blues” is astounding and one of the best things I’ve seen on Youtube. Thanks, Keegiam.
One of the best ever comments posted by a YouTuber about a clip:
”100 buck says those guys brush their teeth on 2 and 4”
😊 Love it. Talk about swinging! And you’re right about his left hand; Peterson had an amazing left hand.
Anyone want to get geeky? :
I find it interesting that, from all those great clips, you chose that clip (C Jam Blues) to point out his left hand. Alex recently made some interesting comments about piano players and we discussed the things that contribute to a piano player’s tone; the instrument itself being one of them.
Peterson’s preferred instrument was our own Schubert’s favorite piano the “Bosendorfer”; a piano with an unusually brilliant sound and unusual clarity and resonance in the .....left hand keys. Not to mention that the low register on the Bosendorfer extends about a half octave lower than the typical 88 key piano. This gives the low register notes extra power and resonance even when those extra lowermost notes are not actually being played.
Now, it can’t be seen from the video, but like the comment about brushing one’s teeth, I would bet 100 bucks that he is playing a “Bosendorfer” on that clip. Then, listening to the following three clips, and accounting for the relatively low-fi of YouTube clips, on “Boogie Woogie Blues” it is immediately obvious that he is playing a different make of piano. Warmer, more rounded tone with less resonance. This, likewise, can’t be confirmed on the video, but it’s classic “Steinway” tone. Then, move to the last clip; duo with Niels Pederson. Notice the similarity of that piano’s tone to that of the piano that he plays on the first clip (“C Jam Blues”). Brighter, more resonant, more clarity. Stop the clip at 3:19 ( -55:29) and look closely. There it is, above his left hand; blurry, but obvious: “Bosendorfer”.
Just having fun.
One of the best ever comments posted by a YouTuber about a clip:
”100 buck says those guys brush their teeth on 2 and 4”
😊 Love it. Talk about swinging! And you’re right about his left hand; Peterson had an amazing left hand.
Anyone want to get geeky? :
I find it interesting that, from all those great clips, you chose that clip (C Jam Blues) to point out his left hand. Alex recently made some interesting comments about piano players and we discussed the things that contribute to a piano player’s tone; the instrument itself being one of them.
Peterson’s preferred instrument was our own Schubert’s favorite piano the “Bosendorfer”; a piano with an unusually brilliant sound and unusual clarity and resonance in the .....left hand keys. Not to mention that the low register on the Bosendorfer extends about a half octave lower than the typical 88 key piano. This gives the low register notes extra power and resonance even when those extra lowermost notes are not actually being played.
Now, it can’t be seen from the video, but like the comment about brushing one’s teeth, I would bet 100 bucks that he is playing a “Bosendorfer” on that clip. Then, listening to the following three clips, and accounting for the relatively low-fi of YouTube clips, on “Boogie Woogie Blues” it is immediately obvious that he is playing a different make of piano. Warmer, more rounded tone with less resonance. This, likewise, can’t be confirmed on the video, but it’s classic “Steinway” tone. Then, move to the last clip; duo with Niels Pederson. Notice the similarity of that piano’s tone to that of the piano that he plays on the first clip (“C Jam Blues”). Brighter, more resonant, more clarity. Stop the clip at 3:19 ( -55:29) and look closely. There it is, above his left hand; blurry, but obvious: “Bosendorfer”.
Just having fun.