Home » Jazz Articles » Book Review » Bouncing with Bud

138

Bouncing with Bud

By

Sign in to view read count
Bouncing with Bud by Carl Smith
Biddle Publishing Company, 1997
0-865-47490-7

Every once in a while, a fan does his compatriots a huge favor. That's the case of Carl Smith with "Bouncing with Bud." With great thoroughness and a loving touch, Smith has put together a book that is hugely valuable both to long-time Powell fans and newcomers to the bebop pioneer's work. The book is very well done — clearly-written and expertly organized.

From hard-to-find European pressings to the recent career compilations on Blue Note and Verve, Smith guides us informatively through Powell's entire output. The book is illustrated with performance photos and reproductions from album covers. It also includes a biographical portrait of Powell by Mark Gardner, which first appeared in the Mosaic Records collection of the pianist's complete Blue Note recordings.

Smith also provides a brief chapter in which he makes the case that Powell's much-criticized later recordings have been unfairly dismissed. And the book concludes with an appendix of quotes and anecdotes about Powell from various jazz figures.

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.