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Bud Powell


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First off, I have to confess that I have no Bud Powell, as a leader, in my ever expanding collection. I realize that I need to urgently correct this situation and was wondering whether the 'Complete Bud Powell on Verve' would be a good place to start (I am a fan of box sets). I have the opportunity to pick it up at a good price and it seems like a nice package. Any thoughts would be welcome.

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Depends on the price.

If you can buy the first 2 BN discs and the first 2 Verves you have the real "meat". If you need more, the complete stuff is dandy, with the warning that Bud's recordings from '53 until death is a hit or miss deal. More misses than hits, but this is the "real deal". I love it all.

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First off, I have to confess that I have no Bud Powell, as a leader, in my ever expanding collection. I realize that I need to urgently correct this situation and was wondering whether the 'Complete Bud Powell on Verve' would be a good place to start (I am a fan of box sets). I have the opportunity to pick it up at a good price and it seems like a nice package. Any thoughts would be welcome.

While I would give the edge to the Blue Note box in terms of overall musical quality, the Verve box contains some great performances. It has the added advantage of wonderful liner notes in terms of expert musical analysis by Barry Harris (Bud's biggest disciple) and another terrific, though less known, pianist, my good friend, Michael Weiss. If it's at a good price as you say, grab it. :tup

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The Verve box (from 1994, which by a coincidence I'm listening to now) still sounds like a decent transfer, but the BN box sounds rather muddy. All bar the Roost material has surfaced as RVG edition CDs, and those may sound better than the set.

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As a starting point, the 2 RVGs (Amazing Vols. 1 & 2) are probably the best bet.

As mentioned, there is a fair amount of erratic playing by Bud and some alternate/incomplete takes. Personally, just the first two discs and comprehensive booklet are worth the price of the entire set.

So, if there's a good bargain on that Verve box, then go for it!

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Thank you everyone for your insights. I will pick up the box this evening, the price, used, is the equivalent of a little below $30 which I think is pretty cheap. Chuck, I look forward to exploring the music of Bud Powell.

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I'd say the Verve stuff is pretty important, just as the Blue Note stuff. However, the BN material is crisper, more incisive, whereas Bud loses his way sometimes in the Verve material. I'd try to pick up the RVGs. Good sound and also get Bud Powell Plays, originally issued by Roost by Teddy Reig, but then reissued on Roulette. For some earlier Bud, you may want to check out the Bebop Boys. This should be available in many different versions from Savoy. This stuff really cooks.

There's also a recent reissue by Fantasy of material recorded by Bud's confidant, Francis Paudras, which came out originally on Mythic Sound. The Mythic Sound material is starting to slowly see the light through Fantasy. There's a couple of good cds on RCA that Bud did in the middle 50s. Might fine stuff.

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