Like the two of you I've never had a great connection with Oscar Peterson, despite my inordinate fondness for jazz piano. For me the reasons are largely, but not entirely, around style; Peterson's remarkably light-fingered playing, inspired primarily by be-bop in terms of harmonic structuring, is not really in my wheelhouse - my stable of fave piano players starts with Bill Evans (and there couldn't be two more different players). OP was more from the Art Tatum school of flashy "look-at-me" stylists. And he was certainly incredibly skilled. Some would say the best ever.

So style is a big part of it, but not all. Because arguably some of my favourite pianists, Bud Powell for ex, come from the same school. But Bud Powell has an emotional connection with me that OP never has. He is a very different player, but he does have the same full-of-flourishes approach. Perhaps, as Derek says, it has to do with Bud being one of the all-time romantic jazz self-destructers which makes each note seem more imbued with pathos and melancholia. Whereas OP was seting aside the royalties for a bigger swimming pool. Yes, I may be that superficial, but I hope not.

I have a number of really nice recordings on which his trio is backing up a jazz great (Stan Getz, and Anita O'Day come to mind), and I don't think I'm taking any risks when I say that the OP trio was one of the great backing bands of all time. In terms of recording session as a leader, I only have a couple, and the better of them is "Night Train" from 1962. Not in the regular rotation though....probably overdue for a listen.