Johnny O'Neal Trio Celebrates Oscar Peterson

“There are so many outstanding things about Johnny’s playing. Two or three of the most outstanding: number one, the touch. Johnny has a million dollar touch. Very few people touch the piano like that to get that kind of sound and feeling… The other thing is his feeling of swing, which is so natural.” — Oscar Peterson

GRAMMY®-nominated pianist and vocalist, Johnny O’Neal is an absolute jazz legend, one of the few still walking the earth. In addition to leading his own trios, he has worked with jazz luminaries such as: Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Clark Terry, Milt Jackson, Ray Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Nancy Wilson, Joe Pass, Lionel Hampton, Anita O’Day, Stan Getz, Sonny Stitt, Carmen MacRae, Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Benny Golson, Sarah Vaughn, Wynton Marsalis, and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, among others. In addition to his virtuoso piano playing, inspired by his mentors Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson, he is known for his soulfully swinging, humorous, and emotionally relatable performances. Mr. O’Neal was brought in to the silver screen, at Oscar Peterson’s recommendation, to portray Art Tatum alongside Jamie Foxx in the Ray Charles biopic “Ray.”