Jazz Articles about Bud Powell

Bud Powell: Bud Powell: The Paris Sessions

by C. Michael Bailey
August 20, 2002

Not Bad Late Bud Powell...

Bud Powell’s great French benefactor Francis Paudras accumulated, self-recorded, and released a good bit of live Powell after the pianist’s expatriation to Paris in 1959. It is from this collection that The Paris Sessions is assembled. The recordings were made between 1957 and 1964, two years before the pianist’s unfortunate death in New York City of tuberculosis, drink, and dissolution.

During the heyday of the Bebop revolution, Bud Powell was the preeminent Modern Jazz pianist. ...

Bud Powell: The Amazing Bud Powell Vols. 1 and 2

by AAJ Staff
October 1, 2001

Under the heading of the “Rudy Van Gelder Edition" series, Blue Note is once again re-releasing some of its most important records.

The series takes its name from the legendary recording engineer who taped most of the label's classic 1950s and 60s sessions. All the CDs are remastered by Van Gelder himself and sound--just as his LP masters from the 1950s and 60s did--rich, warm and wonderful.

The latest batch of Van Gelders is unusual, however, in that they weren't ...

Bud Powell: Tempus Fugue-It

by Craig Jolley
October 1, 2001

The Four-CD set Tempus Fugue-It gives an in-depth picture of Bud Powell's early career equally as side man and leader. Since he was the pianist of choice for many emerging boppers the set also serves as something of a history of bebop.

Beginning with Cootie Williams' 1944 jump band Powell is already recognizable in his brief spots. On some tunes he is required to take on the personality of Count Basie or a boogie pianist. Surprisingly his best early solo ...

Bud Powell: Jazz Giant

by David Rickert
May 1, 2001

If Oscar Peterson's piano style is like a painter creating a landscape out of swirls and dabs of colorful paint, Bud Powell's approach is more like a sculptor working with a slab of black marble. Powell too is influenced by Tatum, but only as filtered through Monk; whereas Peterson always seemed driven to create perfect renditions of songs, Powell always seemed to be wrestling with personal problems, sawing away at melodies as away of expressing him innermost thoughts. Consider each ...

Bud Powell: Jazz Giant

by David Rickert
March 1, 2001

If Oscar Peterson's piano style is like a painter creating a landscape out of swirls and dabs of colorful paint, Bud Powell's approach is more like a sculptor working with a slab of black marble. Powell too is influenced by Tatum, but only as filtered through Monk; whereas Peterson always seemed driven to create perfect renditions of songs, Powell always seemed to be wrestling with personal problems, sawing away at melodies as away of expressing him innermost thoughts. Consider each ...

The Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note Editions-Part 3

by C. Andrew Hovan
November 1, 1999

Unless you've been out of town for many months, you're probably aware of what has become one of the most spirited jazz industry events in recent memory. Specifically, accomplished recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder was asked by Toshiba-EMI in Japan to personally remaster a great number of the Blue Notes that he almost single-handedly recorded during the '50s and '60s. The success of these reissues in Japan has been so resounding that currently Van Gelder is working on the second ...

Bud Powell: Bouncing With Bud

by AAJ Staff
October 1, 1997

Bud Powell was living in Paris in 1962, when he visited Copenhagen and recruited bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen and drummer William Schiopffe for the five-star trio session Bouncing With Bud. Previously released by Delmark in the U.S. and Storyville in Denmark, the album has been reissued by Mobile Fidelity on a great-sounding gold audiophile CD. Heaven knows, the ultra-influential pianist was being tormented by his demons in 1962, but that doesn't prevent him from giving 100% on such jazz standards ...