Bud Powell The Complete Blue Note

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 - The Complete RCA Trio Sessions (2009) {Essential Jazz Classics EJC55432 rec 1956-1957}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 441 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 188 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 49 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1956-57, 2009 RCA / Essential Jazz Classics | EJC55432
Jazz / Bop / Piano

This release contains the complete original albums Strictly Powell and Swingin' with Bud, two of his last American releases prior to his departure to Europe in 1959. Both LPs showcase Powell in a trio format with bassist George Duvivier and drummer Art Taylor, who formed his regular trio at Birdland.

Clifford Brown - Brownie: The Complete EmArcy Recordings of Clifford Brown (1989) {10CD + bonus CD Box Set rec 1954-1956}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 2.80 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 1.39 Gb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 158 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1954-56, 1989 EmArcy / Nippon Phonogram | 838 307-2~838 316-2 / 874 788-3
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Trumpet

Although undoubtedly an expensive acquisition, this ten-CD set is perfectly done and contains dozens of gems. The remarkable but short-lived trumpeter Clifford Brown has the second half of his career fully documented (other than his final performance) and he is showcased in a wide variety of settings. The bulk of the numbers are of Brownie's quintet with co-leader and drummer Max Roach, either Harold Land or Sonny Rollins on tenor, pianist Richie Powell, and bassist George Morrow (including some previously unheard alternate takes), but there is also much more.

Art Pepper - The Art Of Pepper - The Complete Art Pepper Aladdin Recordings, Vol. 3 (1957) { {Blue Note CDP 7 46853 2 rel 1988}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 372 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 151 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 9 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1957, 1988 Blue Note / EMI-Manhattan Records | CDP 7 46853 2
Jazz / Bop / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Saxophone

The third of three volumes chronicling Pepper's complete Aladdin recordings, Blue Note's Art of Pepper, Vol. 3 finds the West Coast alto saxophonist in top form over the course of 12 stunning cuts. Recorded in 1957, the set takes in both Pepper originals ("Holiday Flight," "Surf Ride") and choice standards ("Long Ago and Faraway," "Without a Song"). There's also a fine cover of the rare Bud Powell cut "Webb City." Topped off with excellent work by pianist Carl Perkins, bassist Ben Tucker, and drummer Chuck Flores, this collection is a must-have for all Pepper fans.

The effects of the bebop revolution in jazz music are still being felt and explored. Of the half dozen true pioneers of the movement, pianist Bud Powell has remained somewhat in the shadows, although his work has become a major touchstone for true devotees of the music and a principal influence for most of jazz’s most explorative pianists.