Bud Powell was one of the most important and influential jazz pianists of the post-war era. Brief, patchy and sadly interrupted by illness and misfortune as his career was, he helped change the conventions of jazz piano at the birth of bebop, and introduced techniques taken up by dozens of noted players in his wake, abandoning the established striding left-hand technique in favour of spacey irregular patterns of dissonant chords, while the right hand developed rapid free-flowing melodic lines effectively mimicking the saxophone style of Charlie Parker on the piano. It resulted at times in inspired, brilliant and breathtaking solos, with a daring attack and intensity, which greatly influenced artists of later years such as Bill Evans. We presented a selection of his most noted recordings on The Best Of Bud Powell 1944-62 Vol. 1 (ADDCD3116), but there were many of equal quality and interest that we could not include, so this 2-CD collection covers a similar era, with pieces selected from a wide spectrum of the projects and periods which gave rise to some of his best-known and most highly regarded performances. The regard in which he was held by his peers is underlined by the litany of jazz greats with whom he performs on many of these recordings, who include Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, Fats Navarro, Art Blakey, Ray Brown, Max Roach, Buddy Rich, Percy Heath, Curly Russell and many more. It's an absorbing and entertaining showcase for a fine jazz musician.
1 You Talk a Little Trash - Cootie Williams & His Sextette
2 September in the Rain - Frankie Socolow's Duke Quintet
3 Long Tall Dexter - Dexrer Gordon Quintet
4 Serenade to a Square - Sonny Stitt & His Bebop Boys
5 Buzzy - Charlie Parker All Stars
6 Celia - Bud Powell Trio
7 Strictly Confidential - Bud Powell Trio
8 Wail - Bud Powell's Modernists
9 Off Minor - Bud Powell Trio
10 Indiana - Bud Powell Trio
11 Move - Stars of Modern Jazz
12 I Want to Be Happy - Sonny Stitt & Bud Powell Quartet
13 Fine and Dandy - Sonny Stitt & Bud Powell Quartet
14 Sweet Georgia Brown - Bud Powell Trio
15 April in Paris - Bud Powell Trio
16 Get Happy - Bud Powell Trio
17 Ornithology - Charlie Parker Quintet
18 Tea for Two - Bud Powell Trio
19 The Last Time I Saw Paris - Bud Powell
20 A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square - Bud Powell
21 Oblivion - Bud Powell
- Disc 2 -
1 Un Poco Loco - Bud Powell Trio
2 Autumn in New York - Bud Powell Trio
3 Polka Dots and Moonbeams - Bud Powell Trio
4 Round Midnight - Bud Powell Trio
5 Tenderly - Bud Powell Trio
6 Willow Groove - Bud Powell Trio
7 Jump City - Bud Powell Trio
8 Blue Pearl - Bud Powell Trio
9 Frantic Fancies - Bud Powell Trio
10 Scrapple from the Apple - Bud Powell Trio
11 Marmalade - Bud Powell Trio
12 Sub City - Bud Powell Trio
13 John's Abbey - Bud Powell Trio
14 Danceland - Bud Powell Trio
15 Crossin' the Channel - Bud Powell Trio
16 Get Happy - the Three Bosses & Friends
17 I Remember Clifford - Don Byas/Bud Powell Quartet
Bud Powell was one of the most important and influential jazz pianists of the post-war era. Brief, patchy and sadly interrupted by illness and misfortune as his career was, he helped change the conventions of jazz piano at the birth of bebop, and introduced techniques taken up by dozens of noted players in his wake, abandoning the established striding left-hand technique in favour of spacey irregular patterns of dissonant chords, while the right hand developed rapid free-flowing melodic lines effectively mimicking the saxophone style of Charlie Parker on the piano. It resulted at times in inspired, brilliant and breathtaking solos, with a daring attack and intensity, which greatly influenced artists of later years such as Bill Evans. We presented a selection of his most noted recordings on The Best Of Bud Powell 1944-62 Vol. 1 (ADDCD3116), but there were many of equal quality and interest that we could not include, so this 2-CD collection covers a similar era, with pieces selected from a wide spectrum of the projects and periods which gave rise to some of his best-known and most highly regarded performances. The regard in which he was held by his peers is underlined by the litany of jazz greats with whom he performs on many of these recordings, who include Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, Fats Navarro, Art Blakey, Ray Brown, Max Roach, Buddy Rich, Percy Heath, Curly Russell and many more. It's an absorbing and entertaining showcase for a fine jazz musician.
