Peter Appleyard with Dick Hyman , 2007 Toronto...
Peter Appleyard with Dick Hyman , 2007 Toronto Jazz Festival (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

British born, but Canadian jazz composer and percussionist Peter Appleyard passed away on July 18, 2013.He was 84.  Born in England, he moved to Bermuda in 1949 , eventually landing in Toronto a few years later.  In the 1950’s and 60’s , he was a staple on CBC radio, performing live on various shows.  In the 1970’s he began touring and playing with the Benny Goodman sextet.  As time went on, his reputation grew as a world class vibraphonist.  He played with such greats as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, while always maintaining his base in Toronto. Among his many awards were a Juno and the Order of Canada.  Terrific player. I have posted here a couple of tunes, the first a recent live performance of “It don’t Mean A Thing” and an older clip of “Tangerine”.  Both of them have many great artists along with him.

8 responses to “Song of the Day – Remembering Peter Appleyard”

  1. Resa McConaghy Avatar
    1. John Phillips Avatar

      Very interesting. He was a fixture in Toronto’s music scene. Did you ever see him?

      Like

      1. Resa McConaghy Avatar

        Yes, on a tv show he had. I believe I was turned on to it by a friend who was a jazz musician and played with Peter.

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        1. John Phillips Avatar

          Great talent. Listened to him a lot, sometimes without knowing it.

          Like

  2. mishunderstood Avatar

    I had the pleasure of seeing him at a jazz festival. He was brilliant.
    Thanks for sharing this.

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    1. John Phillips Avatar

      Lucky. Never saw him live. Great player.

      Like

  3. benzeknees Avatar

    Sorry to hear we have lost another great musician!

    Like

    1. John Phillips Avatar

      We still have their music

      Like

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I’m John

Welcome to RCMB, A site dedicated to music, mostly Canadian. Music is the soundtrack of our lives and I want to share this part of my life with you. Enjoy

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