Oscar Peterson and Dan Fogelberg

Now those are two names not usually found in the same place! As is apparent, I'm a music junkie, and my interests are pretty wide-ranging. I've been a fan of both Mr. Peterson and Mr. Fogelberg for decades, and both of them have passed away within the last week. Last year, of course, the great James Brown died on Christmas Day, and this holiday season brought the news of Peterson and Fogelberg's demise. I choose to look at this as an opportunity to think back on their music and what it has meant to me over all these years.

I was introduced to Fogelberg first, back in 10th grade, I think, when I was at a church music camp. A guy there from Houston was playing "Wysteria," from Fogelberg's first album, "Home Free." I thought that was magic, as it was long before I learned how to make my right hand fingers dance around and play that syncopated and flowing picking style. When I got home, I went to the record store and bought that album, and I must have listened to it 10 times through in that first week. Sure, it was a little overtly sentimental, maybe a bit too soft to be called any kind of "rock" music, but the guitar work and his lyrics made sense to me, at least. I went on to have most of his records through the mid-80's, and finally I was able to play my own versions of those tunes when I got more serious about fingerstyle guitar about a decade ago. So, despite the critical scorn that was heaped upon his music, I will always hold a fond spot in my musical memory for Dan Fogelberg. And "Wysteria" is still cool to play on guitar...Fogelberg is gone too soon, felled by prostate cancer, but his music will be a lasting tribute.

Oscar Peterson was a discovery I made in college at Emory. The RA on the dorm floor with us was a jazz fan, and I heard some amazing music coming from his room one day as I walked by. It was some complicated interplay of guitar, bass and piano, and it sounded like everyone was playing solos all at once. Crazy, man, crazy! Upon inquiry, I found that the album was the great "Trio" album featuring Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson, and Neils Pedersen. That weekend, I made my weekly pilgrimage to the record store (Wax 'n Facts), and picked up my own copy. From that chance discovery, I got into Joe Pass and his fabulous guitar work, and I've purchased a bunch of other Oscar Peterson records as well, including a fabulous Christmas CD. Peterson was amazingly fast and fluid, and to this day I can't comprehend how he could play such massive and rolling figures in his left hand while still playing cool melodies and solo flights with his right. Listening on headphones, you can hear him groan along while he plays, sort of singing with himself. Peterson lived to be 82 years old, and he was able to perform until very late in life, so as a musician, that's all one can ask, I think. He's received most every honor a musician can receive, especially in his native Canada, so that's a life well led, I'd say.

So, now I'm going back to settle in with the family as we all go to our separate corners and dig into our gifts. The kids are upstairs on the Wii playing Guitar Hero, I'll be messing around with my books and CD's, and Mary Anne will relax while enjoying her soft and warm clothing. Yeah, I'll get up there to play Guitar Hero, too, but I'll wait for a while. :-)

Merry Christmas!