Oliver Jones, the jazz master of Montreal, was honored yesterday. The prolific jazz pianist was named a Citizen of Honour at Montreal’s City Hall. It is an hommage to his 75-year career.
A child prodigy he began playing piano at 5, in the same working class neighbourhood that Oscar Peterson grew up in. Oliver Jones sat on the porch listening to Oscar practice, as Oscar’s sister, Daisy Peterson Sweeney, was Oliver’s piano teacher.
Oliver Jones won a Juno Award in 1986 for his third album, ‘Lights of Burgundy’.
In 1990 his tour of Nigeria was the subject of a National Film Board of Canada documentary, entitled ‘Oliver Jones in Africa’.
He was also honoured by Canada Post with a stamp in 2013. This summer he will be appearing in Montreal’s International Jazz Festival on July 5th, a celebration of his upcoming 80th birthday.
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