This was an exciting concert and not just because it was a world premiere and a little piece of history, but because being present at anything Oscar Peterson does is a memory to cherish. Peterson will turn seventy-five on August 15^th of this year. He has fought his way back from a stroke, which debilitated his left hand. He now continues to use his right hand brilliantly and has limited use of his left hand. However, Peterson’s right hand alone accomplishes more than most jazz pianists can accomplish with two hands

Blessed with a father who taught him and his siblings as much music as he could, Peterson went on in high school to take lessons with Hungarian pianist, Paul de Marky. Peterson’s official web site claims that he learned his "technique and speedy fingers" from de Marky and that he earned de Marky’s unqualified belief in his talent.

This concert also stirred a little nationalistic fervor. Peterson’s stature and the subject of his new composition attracted the Queen’s representative in Canada, Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson, and her husband, John Ralston Saul. Roy Thomson Hall’s 2,812 seats were filled to about 95 percent capacity, and this was for a concert where the back of the orchestra was going for $125 a seat.

The first half of the concert was a feast for Peterson’s fans. The other members of Peterson's quartet are incredibly virtuoso. Even the mighty Oscar was a little pressed to keep up with them.

One notable aspect of the performance was the trading between piano and guitar in the lead in to "Sweet Georgia Brown." It was a dueling of piano and guitar, with a little bit of drama in the performers' facial expressions and body language.

The Trail of Dreams suite is very beautiful. I predict that the record will be a must-have and may well become a crossover album. It doesn't rock, but it is so melodic, the strings (a little too sweet for my taste) are so beautifully done and play an equal musical role to that of the quartet. The quartet and string orchestra fit seamlessly. Each movement spans time and geography. The first movement, "Cookin’ on the Trail," refers to the Trail of Dreams, Canada’s cross-country rails to trails project. The second piece is "Morning in Newfoundland", where North America first greets the new day. The third is "The Okanogan Valley," at the other end of the country, British Columbia. This valley, nestled between mountain chains, produces enormous quantities of fruit and vegetables, as well as some quite respectable wines. Each part of the country receives its due from Peterson until finally, the suite concludes with "Anthem to the New Land."

If you are looking for the Canadian Suite of Peterson’s early years, you will be both pleased and disappointed. You’ll be pleased because this new paean to Canada is melodic and inspiring for all who love the trail and the country and you may be disappointed because it is a much softer sounding piece of music. Peterson’s vision of Canada as a land and a people has mellowed with time -- Michel LeGrand’s superb string orchestra is there to demonstrate how much so.