Peterson envisioned Canadiana Suite as a tribute to the diverse landscapes of Canada, drawing inspiration from his travels by rail across southern Canada. Beginning in the Maritime provinces with "Ballad to the East", the suite travels west through the Laurentian Mountains of southern Quebec in "Laurentide Waltz", then pays a visit to the neighbourhood in Montreal where Peterson grew up, Place St. Henri, in the song of the same name. Next, the suite moves on to Canada's next great metropolis, Toronto, in "Hogtown Blues", before heading to the great plains of Manitoba ("Blues of the Prairies") and Saskatchewan ("Wheatland"). Finally, Peterson takes us through Calgary in "March Past", and on into the Rocky Mountains with "Land of the Misty Giants". Explaining his motivation for writing Canadiana Suite, Peterson said "My profession has taken me to every part of the world, none of them more beautiful than where I live. As a musician, I respond to the harmony and rhythm of life, and when I’m deeply moved it leaves something singing inside me. With a country as large and as full of contrast as Canada, I had a lot of themes to choose from when I wrote the Canadiana Suite. This is my musical portrait of the Canada I love."[4]
^"Canadiana Suite". Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Retrieved 18 February 2021. My profession has taken me to every part of the world, none of them more beautiful than where I live. As a musician, I respond to the harmony and rhythm of life, and when I'm deeply moved it leaves something singing inside me. With a country as large and as full of contrast as Canada, I had a lot of themes to choose from when I wrote the Canadiana Suite. This is my musical portrait of the Canada I love.
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release. Note: All-Star albums feature sideman who are not necessarily listed while titles which include "Oscar Peterson" or the OP Trio are usually shortened.
