Making Its Mark: Brand 33 at Aspen Lakes

The jazz world lost another from its diminishing ranks of giants last week: Canadian piano genius Oscar Peterson died two days before Christmas at age 82.
Growing up in a Montreal ghetto in the 1920s and '30s, Peterson started out playing the trumpet but switched to piano after a bout of tuberculosis. He was trained in classical technique by his father and sister and a prominent Montreal teacher, but was captivated by the sounds of the great jazz pianists of the era. (Later on he would say that two of his main influences were Art Tatum and Sergei Rachmaninov.)
In a career that spanned more than 60 years, Peterson collaborated with a list of artists that reads like a Who's Who of jazz - Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Louis Armstrong, Stephane Grappelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and many more. His recordings in the 1950s with the Oscar Peterson Trio (himself, bassman Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis) are landmarks of the genre.
In his native country, Peterson was more than a musician - he was a national institution. He was showered with awards and honors, and at one point Prime Minister Jean Chretien offered him the position of lieutenant-governor of Ontario. (Peterson declined.) They even put him on a postage stamp.
A crippling stroke in 1993 sidelined Peterson for several years. Although he never regained his old form, he kept recording and performing up until last year, when his health began seriously deteriorating.
After his death tributes poured in from fellow musicians and scholars of jazz, including Dan Morgenstern, director of the Institute of Jazz at Rutgers University, who told the Washington Post: "Any pianist who came after Oscar Peterson would have had to look up to him as a model of all-around musicianship."
But we prefer the more succinct praise offered by Ray Charles in 2003: "Oscar Peterson is a m****r-f***ing piano player."

With the holiday season and the presidential campaign season in full swing (okay, the presidential campaign season has been in full swing for what feels like three years) it's time to rate the contenders' holiday ads.
Mike Huckabee: As "Silent Night" plays softly in background, the Arkansas governor says in honeyed tones: "Are you about worn out of [sic] all the television commercials you've been seeing, mostly about politics? I don't blame you. At this time of year sometimes it's nice to pull aside from all of that and just remember that what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ, and being with our family and our friends. I hope that you and your family will have a magnificent Christmas season, and on behalf of all of us, God bless, and Merry Christmas."
The spot has drawn flak for its heavy religious content, but Upfront respects Huck's sincerity and likes the warm and fuzzy tone. ★★★
Rudy Giuliani: The former New York mayor, in marked contrast to Huckabee, shoots for yucks - and misses. "There are many things I wish for this holiday season," says Giuliani, wearing a red sweater vest and sitting in front of a Christmas tree. "I wish for peace with strength. Secure borders. A government that spends less than it takes in. Lower taxes for our businesses and families. And I really hope that all of the presidential candidates can just get along."
"Ho, ho, ho, ho," chimes in a white-bearded Santa Claus. "I was with you right up until that last one. Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho."
"Can't have everything!" Giuliani says.
Sorry, Rudy, Dave Letterman you ain't. Maybe it would've been funnier if you wore a dress. ★★
John Edwards: The former North Carolina senator takes a decidedly somber tone. Standing in front of Christmas tree in a rather dimly lighted set, he declaims: "One out of every four homeless people on our streets is a veteran. Thirty-seven million Americans live in poverty. Who speaks for them? We do. This is the season of miracles, of faith and love. So let us promise together: you will never be forgotten again. We see you, we hear you, and we will speak for you. In America, the chance to build a better life is a promise made to each of us, and the obligation to keep it rests with us all."
We like the populist message, but the delivery unfortunately is a snoozer. ★★★
Hillary Clinton: Even in a Christmas ad, the New York senator manages to come across as a boring policy wonk. Her ad shows a pair of hands putting cards on wrapped presents marked "Universal Health Care," "Alternative Energy," "Bring Our Troops Home" and "Middle Class Tax Breaks. Then Clinton says: "Where did I put universal pre-K? Ah, there it is. Happy Holidays." Sorry, Hill, this ad is tres lame. ★
Barack Obama: The Illinois senator's ad is the only real winner in the bunch. The whole Obama family is cozied up in front of a twinkling Christmas tree as Barack pronounces in his mellifluous baritone: "In this holiday season we are reminded that the things that unite us as a people are more powerful and enduring than anything that sets us apart. And we all have a stake in each other, in something larger than ourselves. So from my family to yours, I am Barack Obama and I approve this message."
"Merry Christmas!" says 9-year-old Malia. "Happy Holidays!" chirps 6-year-old Sasha.
The message manages to be inoffensive without being too bland, Obama covers all the bases by wishing people BOTH Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas, and you can't go wrong with two cute kids. ★★★★★