Oscar Peterson

February 1, 2013

Gr 7-10-Peterson may not be a household name in the U.S., but, in his native Canada, the legendary jazz pianist is a pretty big deal. Few pianists could match Peterson in terms of technical virtuosity, but fellow countryman (and former jazz reviewer) Batten goes beyond the music and shows that hard work and parental support helped the musician distinguish himself among the many jazz greats of his day. The author seems unable at times to pinpoint his intended audience. For instance, while discussing the racism Peterson faced touring in the American South, he uses awkward and cliched language that seems geared toward elementary students. Yet when describing Peterson's playing, he highlights intricacies of the music that only a jazz fan would understand. The book's design is also largely problematic; in many cases, photographs on a given page have absolutely nothing to do with the surrounding text. Take the discussion of Peterson's father's failing health, which shares space with a photo of Peterson and Fred Astaire joking together. While certainly worthy of a biopic, this book will be a hard sell for most young readers. The esoteric subject, inconsistent writing, and subpar organization make it an additional purchase.-Sam Bloom, Blue Ash Library, Cincinnati, OH

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2012
Grades 6-9 Batten pays thorough tribute to the prolific and long-reigning king of jazz piano with an account of Peterson's life that focuses largely on his musicianship and on the family members and professional colleagues who influenced it. Typical of jazz biographies, the narrative is well larded with references to other musicians, most of whom will be unknown to all but real aficionados of the genrebut as a veteran music journalist, the author describes his subject's career highlights and distinctive techniques both live and on record with particular authority and precision. Despite being illustrated with badly reproduced photographs (including two of the author himself with Peterson), this profile offers serious students of jazz insights aplenty into one of the modern age's greatest performers. The back matter features a highly selective but annotated discography.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)