Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Arts·Q with Tom Power

What made Oscar Peterson one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time

In celebration of Peterson's 100th birthday, Canadian musician Robi Botos reflects on what made the late Canadian jazz legend so exceptional.

Canadian musician Robi Botos reflects on what made Peterson so exceptional

CBC Arts ·
A man playing a piano.
Still from the documentary Oscar Peterson: Black + White. (Bell Media)
27:30What made Oscar Peterson so exceptional

Robi Botos is a Juno-winning Canadian jazz pianist who was hugely influenced by the late Oscar Peterson — one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. He opened for Peterson in Switzerland and he even gave Peterson's daughter piano lessons. In celebration of the Canadian jazz legend's centenary (he would have turned 100 on Aug. 15), Botos sits down with Tom Power to talk about Peterson's musical legacy and what made his piano playing so exceptional. Plus, Botos plays a piece he wrote for his friend and hero.

A smiling man sits at a grand piano.
Robi Botos sitting at Glenn Gould's practice piano in the Q studio in Toronto. (Shuli Grosman-Gray/CBC)

The full interview with Robi Botos is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Robi Botos produced by Ben Edwards.