Andrew Litton pays tribute to Oscar Peterson

Oscare Peterson, Andrew Litton
At left, the late Oscar Peterson at the piano in 1997. At right, Andrew Litton at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on Thursday, July 10, 2014.
AP Photo, left, Tom Cran/MPR News, right

The Minnesota Orchestra's Sommerfest is underway. One of the highlights of the festival will be a tribute to the late jazz pianist Oscar Peterson by Andrew Litton, who is in his 11th season as artistic director of the festival.

Litton's been "obsessed," as he puts it, with Peterson's playing since he got one of his albums for his 16th birthday. Now Litton has recreated some of Peterson's own performances -- and collected them in a new recording.

Late tomorrow night, after he's conducted a Viennese concert, he'll sit down at the piano for a rare solo performance. He spoke with MPR's All Things Considered host Tom Crann from the the stage at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on Thursday.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.