CBC Music's "50 Years on Oscar Peterson's Night Train" journey began last week in Toronto, with a jazz trio boarding a VIA Rail train bound for Montreal – or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it began 50 years ago, with the release of Oscar Peterson's best-known album, Night Train, in 1963.
Night Train, 1963
Night Train featured a famous Peterson trio, Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums, and the songs were immediately engaging – and short: no song over six minutes and most closer to three. They ranged from laid-back grooves to breakneck tempos, and many were familiar to audiences of the day ("Georgia on My Mind," "Night Train," "The Honey Dripper"). People loved Night Train in 1963, and they still do today. Night Train is sometimes called a gateway album, for introducing many people to jazz for the first time.
Night Train, 2013
CBC Music (thanks to a great idea from Recording Engineer Ron Skinner) celebrated the 50th anniversary of the recording by putting on a concert in Montreal featuring music from Night Train. Not only that, but a concert featuring a couple of Peterson alumni: bassist Dave Young, who played with Peterson for over three decades, and drummer Alvin Queen, who primarily played with Peterson towards the end of Peterson's career.
The third member of the trio — the all-important piano player — was Robi Botos, who got to know Peterson during the final years of Peterson's life. Botos, a Hungarian refugee to Canada, received huge encouragement from Peterson, who also asked the younger player to teach piano to Peterson's daughter, Céline.
Last week, members of CBC Music boarded a VIA train in Toronto along with the trio and interviewed the musicians (as well as Peterson's wife, Kelly Peterson), en route to the concert in Montreal. You'll be able to watch videos of the interviews and concert on March 12, 2013, here at CBC Music. There was also a video documentary team on the train, working in partnership with Radio-Canada, to gather footage for an interactive documentary about jazz in Montreal calledBurgundy Jazz, which will be online sometime this spring.
For now, have a look at our photo gallery, which tells the story of the "50 Years on Oscar Peterson's Night Train" project and includes a few archival photos of Peterson himself. All aboard!
Videos from "50 Years on Oscar Peterson's Night Train" will be online at CBC Music March 12, and the concert will be broadcast on Canada Live March 14 and 15. Listen online at CBC Music right now.
Related:
Oscar Peterson’s Night Train turns 50
Q&A: Robi Botos on Oscar Peterson, Branford Marsalis and more
Oscar Peterson in the Black Forest
Giants of Jazz: Oscar Peterson in exclusive interview from CBC's Hot Air archive
Hommage à Night Train: le classique d'Oscar Peterson a 50 ans