Oscar Peterson (1925–2007), Canadian piano virtuoso, fused thunderous swing with crystalline technique. Inspired by Art Tatum, he led definitive trios with Ray Brown and Herb Ellis/Ed Thigpen, became a Verve mainstay under Norman Granz, and lit up Jazz at the Philharmonic. Essentials: Night Train, We Get Requests, The Trio. Composer of the civil-rights anthem “Hymn to Freedom.”