Scene Changes Bud

Bud Powell - The Scene Changes (1958) {Blue Note, CP32-5207, Japan Early Press}
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© 1958, 1986 Blue Note / Toshiba-EMI | CP32-5207
Jazz / Bop / Piano

Bud Powell was unquestionably a major talent. Sadly, he was also unquestionably mad. The legend of the tortured, tragic jazz genius exists because of people like Charlie Parker and Bud Powell. Both are bebop legends, among the greatest of the greats, founding fathers of the genre. Both were brought down by drugs and mental illness—Parker at 34, Powell at 41.

One of the giants of the jazz piano, Bud Powell changed the way that virtually all post-swing pianists play their instruments. He did away with the left-hand striding that had been considered essential earlier and used his left hand to state chords on an irregular basis. His right often played speedy single-note lines, essentially transforming Charlie Parker's vocabulary to the piano (although he developed parallel to "Bird")…

Although pianist Bud Powell recorded some great albums elsewhere (most notably his first couple of sessions for Verve), on the whole his Blue Note records were his most significant and definitive. This four-CD set has all of the music from his five Blue Note albums, his two sessions for the Roost label, and all known alternate takes. Powell literally changed the way that the piano is played in jazz, and this magnificent set has more than its share of classics. In addition to the many trio performances, trombonist Curtis Fuller sits in on three numbers, there are a few solo cuts, and one date features Powell at the head of a quintet with trumpeter Fats Navarro and the young tenor Sonny Rollins. Although there are a few faltering moments in the later dates, this essential release (unlike the similar Verve reissue) is quite consistent.

Bud Powell - Bud! (1957) {Blue Note RVG Edition}
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© 1957, 2002 Blue Note / Capitol | 7243 5 35585 2 9
Jazz / Bebop / Bop / Piano

Bud Powell's playing in the late '50s (just prior to his move to Paris) found the troubled pianist in erratic form, often struggling to make it through songs he had written. However, his three Blue Note recordings from the era (which include the slightly later Time Waits and The Scene Changes) feature Powell in surprisingly inspired form; all of the releases have since been reissued on a comprehensive CD set. Bud! (which is subtitled The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 3) has five trio performances with bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor (highlighted by "Bud on Bach" and "Some Soul") and three standards on which the group is joined by trombonist Curtis Fuller. This strong bop set is well worth getting.

André Francis and Jean Schwarz, two of the greatest lovers and connoisseurs of jazz, have designed this chronological anthology which brings together the greatest rare or essential masterpieces in the history of jazz, with its greatest creators, from 1944 to 1951.

René Urtreger was only 20 years old and brand new to the jazz scene at the time of his debut recording, yet he was already making an impression. His tribute to Bud Powell finds him playing bop with some authority, covering some of the troubled genius' best compositions. Accompanied by bassist Benoit Quersin and drummer Jean-Louis Viale, Urtreger shows a tendency to tackle nearly everything at a moderate tempo, though it might have been that his rhythm section wasn't up to handling a faster pace. "So Sorry Please" is full of campy humor as Powell intended, though "Parisian Thoroughfare" would have benefited from a bit more risk-taking. Urtreger's two original works include the roller coaster "À la Bud" (which seems to be based on the chord changes of "Tea for Two") and the stunning ballad "Mercedes"…