Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones and Nancy Wilson were among the premiere jazz artists who performed January 12th in Toronto, in honor of the late Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson. "He's on his second journey. The first is birth and the second is death," Hancock explained to the audience before a portrait of Peterson, according to Reuters. "So enjoy your journey, Oscar. I wish you well."
"Nobody who I have ever loved has left," said a tearful Wilson after singing a farewell song for Peterson. "They are always here."
Peterson died December 23rd of kidney failure at the age of 82. The concert tribute, held at the end of the 35th annual International Association of Jazz Education conference in Toronto, was attended by more than 2,500 people, many of whom had lined up for more than 12 hours to get in.
Peterson was posthumously honored by the IAJE and the NEA with a special jazz master award on January 11th.
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