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When Kelly Peterson first visited the corner of Elgin and Albert streets five years ago, she was a special guest at a momentous celebration.

No less than Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh were there too, at the very centre of a crowd of thousands that attended the unveiling of the larger-than-life bronze statue of Oscar Peterson, Kelly’s late husband and the iconic jazz pianist whose virtuosic, intensely swinging playing was known worldwide since the 1950s.

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THE OTTAWA CITIZEN

Since then, Kelly Peterson, who lives in Mississauga, has returned to be near her husband’s likeness, but always in a low-key way. “I have been back to Ottawa a few times and visited Oscar’s Corner more quietly than on the unveiling day,” she says.

“I’m so pleased that it has become such a great spot in Ottawa,” she adds. “Fans sends us pictures, to Oscar’s Facebook page, often, which is a lot of fun.”

Photo by Andrew Duffy / Ottawa Citizen

Saturday afternoon, Kelly Peterson will be back at Oscar’s Corner, for another celebration. While the Queen won’t be attending, the National Arts Centre is marking the 90th anniversary of the great pianist’s birth with a Peterson-themed outdoor jazz concert.