Milton Sealey, ca. mid-1950s.

Oscar Peterson in his early Montreal days.

While Montreal offered plentiful opportunities for musicians during the “Paris of North America” years, there was still considerable competition for the best jobs from out-of-towners, primarily Americans who had gravitated north thanks to the city’s relaxed liquor laws, military staging point, and a comparatively relaxed racial-mixing atmosphere. Camaraderie was the ticket for many jazz players who, unable to afford formal musical training, collaborated with their colleagues to learn and master theory, sight reading and other essential skills.

Join us as Montreal legend Vic Vogel talks about the texture and character of the scene out of which Montreal’s most gifted performers — including the Sealey Brothers and pianist Oscar Peterson — rose to prominence at the time.