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Your wife must have terrific jazz ears to come out with that. Great insight :-) She´s not really a jazz lover but I´m often quite astonished how much she know´s what´s going on (tunes etc.). If I tell her she says "it´s just because I hear your stuff so much". Well but Monk, that´s something else. She seems to like him more than others.

Young Bud was a disciple of Monk's. Bud´s Monk-influence became even more profund during later years. He version of "Epistrophy" from 1955 is described as being just "a bit too monkish" even for Bud. Towards the end of his career he played very much Monk tunes and at least two albums a dedicated to Monk ("A Portrait of Thelonious from 1961", and "Tribute to Thelonious" from 1964.

I really don´t know. And I must say sincerly I hadn´t noticed it. But a good occasion to present myself, since I didn´t find a thread where I could have done it: born in 1959, male, married, jazz-fan since I was a teenager, musical tastes: spreading from be-bop (maybe my main interest), hardbop, earlier avantgarde (Ornette Coleman etc.) , and maybe some of the 70´s stuff, but not necessarly. I found this board while trying to find some sources that share my impressions about Bud Powells very last album. That´s when I saw ccex´s thread on "Up´n Downs" and thought that might be a good place to stay. Since I am on the board I found many other topics that are interesting to me, like about Mingus, Miles, the one about the "Golden Eight" (Kenny Clarke) etc. In my live, I saw quite a few musicians on stage: Dizzy, Dexter, Sonny Stitt, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Mingus, Miles, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, that´s only a handful of great musicians I saw live... And I can play piano by ears. Since my greatest musical inspiration (on piano) was and still is Bud Powell, it´s natural if I play tunes and improvise on them it "sounds like Bud" (says my wife). I couldn´t read a note as big as a house, but can pick up quickly tunes even if they more complicated like "Conception" or fast bebop stuff like "Salt Peanuts" "John´s Abbey" etc....Also like to play ballads and getting a feeling from it that I got to know and to love from later Bud Powell interpretations. My most loyal listener is my wife!

Hello! Don´t worry, I really liked your input, since I also had intended to write a few lines about how it came I´m the Bud Powell fan I´ve been for more than 3 decades: After I first got in touch with jazz, some people let me listen to some Oscar Peterson LPs since they knew I can play piano from ears. I dug it, especially the feeling from the strong bass lines of Ray Brown. After having the chance to listen to a Miles Davis quintet track I knew there´s much more to music than Oscar Peterson. Trying to go back to the roots of Miles, I purchased some Charlie Parker, and after listening to the "One Night in Birdland" with Bud playing those exiting solos on it, I was lost forever. Bud was my thing. It was the first music I heard in my ears when I waked up and the last thing I had in my ears when I went to sleep. Well you know I was still almost a kid, I thought it´s not hip having Oscar Peterson albums at home. I sold them for almost nothing, spent all my money to get Bud (and of course all other interprets from his time: Fats, Diz, Tadd, Monk, Dexter Gordon, J.J. Johnson). Of course I listened intensly to his later (so called sustained) achievments. Though my first musical love was that early Bud from 1946-1953, I really dug into his later stuff and almost got annoyed on people who wrote or said he made "mistakes". Mistakes? That sounded and still sounds so old-fashioned to me. Where we are at? Gettin´piano lessons from some old lady? Bud c a n afford making mistakes because even if he could have used only two fingers of his hand, he still was the greatest thing that ever happened to those 88 keys, that´s my opinion. I also had periods when I listend to other music, but then I concentrated on other sounds: Mingus, Ornette Coleman trio, and even Miles´electric stuff from the 70´s (just to feel "modern", but I can like some of it). I also love other piano players, especially if they don´t imitate Bud and don´t play the piano how old piano teacher ladies are supposed telling you how it might be played. I dig Horace Silver, and above all Monk (my wife says: He´s the greatest, because he plays like if he had invented that instrument for his own purpose). And Tadd Dameron: He´s not supposed to be a piano-player but I have times I can´t hear enough from his strange chord based interludes. Well, that was off topic, but your answer about how you started to listen to Bud inspired me...

A good example to hear Diz, Fats and Miles together is "Overtime" and "Victory Ball" from the Metronome-Allstars 1949. I couldn´t find another example, but Fats is sitting in on 4 tunes of a Miles Davis set from 1950 (supposed to be from the same night as the Charlie Parker Allstars with Bird, Fats, Bud...).

I seriously disagree. I think Bud's playing is poor ranging to awful - it sounds positively tortured in places. It supports the decision ESP made to not release the tapes. Well I couldn´t say the playing is "poor", listen to the great "new" voicings, especially on the bridge. The only flaws ar one or two misfingerings and that he plays it quite "out of time", more into a "rubato-style" or how you call it. A very interesting inside-review about Bud´s very last performances comes from Ira Gitler´s book "Jazz masters of the 40´s " where he describes Bud´s set of music on a concert bill with New Thing artists like Albert Ayler and Milford Graves: Bud´s last piece, a ballad is described as being extremly moving and what seemed to be faltering time on faster pieces had become a "nearly Monkish deliberateness" ......... and though far from his peak, Bud hadn´t lost his marvelous touch....." I think, the same words could be said about that "Round Midnite" on "Ups ´n Downs".....

What´s the mistery about "My Favourite Quintet"? (1965, live at the Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis)? I see it in all the discographies and it was advertised on the back cover of all those Mingus records released on the french "America" label during the 70´s (then a source for us poor Europeans to purchase Mingus´stuff....) , only I never could put my hands on it. As much as I know, it was never re-issued as a CD. It would be worth listening, since it has, besides just another version of "So Long Eric" a ballad medley, in the way the Ellington-Medley on "Monterey", as I suppose..... Rumours were, that Mrs. Sue Mingus would release it. We have tons of partially bootleg material from the 1964 tour , at least this recording would be interesting. I also miss a good live recording of the band that I was lucky to see live (Walrath, Ricky Ford, Bob Neloms). The only source I have is a hideous bootleg-sampler with live material from the 70s (Stormy and Funky Blues), which I bought during the short time it was out , only because it contains a live version of "Cumbia and Jazz Fusion"......

I think it was very hard for Bud to find inspirations during his later years. All that music was in his head, but not always the vibrations were right. Especially the tracks from Sweden from the same period: I have the 5 albums from Golden Circle and the limited edition of further material ("Budism", 3 CDs) . Much of it is just tedious, too long versions of simple 12 Bar tunes like "Blues in the Closet" played over and over. The best material is on the studio album recorded in Copenhagen, that´s really great Bud Powell. I also have from Copenhagen some tracks where the usual trio has to guests added: Don Byas and Brew Moore. Bud sounds very inspired on that. He should have done more like that, not only trio-settings, but encounters with hornplayers. Playing trio all the time, each week in another town with another rhythm-section becomes boring. And if it was like Bud´s situation, when he didn´t see a penny from his work, it´s just disastrous for a man and a musician.

I also like the second album from the same date: "Charles Mingus Quintet plus Max Roach".

Yesterday I listened again to that album. Just beautiful, I love it.

A really sad album. But considering the fact, that Mingus was fatally ill then, he must be admired for the will and strength of trying to play a bass while his hands are getting stiff. It´s painful to hear him like that, struggeling with his instrument. And about the music, it´s just Mingus´ tunes, the arrangements done by Paul Jeffrey are too polished. Mingus didn´t participate in the project, he let Paul Jeffrey go to Hampton´s place to perpare the material. They even had to change to title of "Remember Rockefeller at Attica" into "Just for Laughs" because Hampton didn´t want political music. Hampton´s solos are sympathic but unessential in Mingus´music. But we must not forget it was Hampton who had employed Mingus during the forties, it was that band that played "Mingus´Fingers" then....

How about the two albums Mingus made in late 1970 in Paris? With McPherson, Bobby Jones, Jakie Byard and of course Mr. Richmond. In general, those are considered as weaker recordings of Mingus, made after the long period when he was inactive. During the 70´s I had those two LPs, last year I purchased a double CD with all that material (also alternative tracks). Of course, I heard more interesting Mingus, but nevertheless it´s very good music.

I love Cumbia and Jazz Fusion (this was in 1977). The other tune on that album "Music for Todo Modo" was recorded just the year before in Italy. It was the last occasion on which George Adams played with Mingus. Actually I heard "Cumbia" live before we could buy the record. I´ll never forget that fantastic work with all those different sections and of course Mingus shouting his "rap" (Who said Mama´s lil baby likes shortnin´bread? ). Danny Richmond recorded it after Mingus´death, but I rather would have preferred to here a good live CD of that last group with Mingus performing the music he had composed then. I still remember we all wondered what it was, since Mingus only announced "rite now we gonna play something we just recorded, it´s from a movie score". Few months later the record was for sale, but then I was disappointed since it´s quite over-produced. Then, I didn´t like all those flute and birdsounds on the beginning. Now I love that record, since it´s my only memory of what I saw in 1977.

hello marcello! Of course, being the Bud Powell freak I am, I had purchased that book right after it was published. It´s a fantastic book and I really praise Mr. Carl Smith. Also got Francis Paudras´book in the mid 80´s , the original french version. The ESP-Disk you mentioned is really nice, a more relaxed performance from 1961, but some sources mention it is from late 1962. I had the original LP but last year purchased a CD-reissue from the ESP-catalog with a rare set added with Zoot Sims. I already had that Zoot Sims-Bud Powell encounter on Mythic Sound. Well, but that´s another period, it´s Bud during his 5 years stay in Paris......

Bud was hospitalized from 9/4/51 through 2/5/53. I've read that when he was hospitalized he painted a keyboard on his wall, which was the only way he could practice. He once asked a visitor (Jackie McLean?) if he could hear the sounds Bud was "playing" on the wall. No matter what method Bud used to practice, his "Tea For Two" from 2/7/53 is as good as any version I've heard him play. He's more relaxed here than on his earlier solo version for Norman Granz. ...... ........ I haven't heard the Sept. '53 club dates but note that there's nothing in his discography from that month until June of 1954, when his playing was much darker and slower (listen to "It Never Entered My Mind" on Verve to hear the difference). 1953 is generally considered the last year Bud Powell's technique was in its prime. It was also the year that the manager of Birdland, Oscar Goodstein, became his legal guardian and started keeping him in a locked hotel room (house arrest?) between gigs. Others have written that this was the year Bud started his largactyl prescription, (which was used to combat schizophrenia but weakens the muscle system). Sometime in 1953 Bud attempted suicide by slitting his left armpit (he knew enough not to mess with his wrists). Thank you very much for your very interesting answer! Yes, maybe the legendary "keyboard painted on the hospital wall" was his only oportunity to keep in touch with a "piano" from 1951-1953. It is interesting how it seems that "practice" on piano isn´t always the only solution for a good performance. See, later during 1954-1955, when Bud was hospitalized again it´s told he had a piano in his room, but his performances when he was out again where much weaker. The only sources I found about Bud´s "activities" from late 1953 to the Granz recordings from june 1954 I found in a letter that Bud´s mother wrote to Goodstein, that she´s worried he´s drinking so much again. In early 1954 he played in Los Angeles but it´s said he was very erratic and the gig was cut short.... Some great inside views about Bud´s live (not published in other sources) I found in Ira Gitler´s "Jazz Masters of the Forties" with an interesting story about how Bud became friendly with one Dede Emerson from Utah, who studies piano in NY and took Bud to her class where he was "very articulate" and played "Dance of the Infidels" and told how he would like to have it orchestrated . Miss Emerson also tells that sometimes she almost felt like Carrie Nations making efforts to keep Bud off drinking. It´s interesting how Bud´s style started to change a bit during 1953 (his lines became less intense and his left hand chords more "abstract"), and how it seemed that he had returned to his earlier "act" after going to Europe. Then, his playing ...for example on "Blakey in Paris" or "Essen All Stars" sounds like vintage Powell from the forties.

I didn´t know who is Terry Bozzio, but I really admire Woody Shaw. During a time when Miles had retired and nobody thought he might start to play again, and Dizzy (with all my greatest respect for him) had started to play the same things over and over again with a very thin group (g, el-bass, dm), Woody Shaw was my idea of a perfect trumpet player. His group with Mulgrew Miller, Tony Reedus etc. was incredible. I would have liked to read that whole interview, because it really reveals some interesting facts (Woody first saying he never thought he would employ a white musician, then discovering that most blacks at the coast during that time didn´t really know how to play the music). And something that´s now more true then ever: Young musicians gettin´to much to early without having paid their dues.... Woody refers to "a former habit" and that he managed to kick it. It really made me so sad to see Woody for the last time. It was in Europe and I couldn´t believe that t h e o n e a n d o n l y Woody Shaw would be on a small, shabby stage playing with some semi-professional locals, doing old standards (real-book stuff usually played by generations of students, amateur jazz lovers etc.) and naturally sounding very uninspired. That was one of the saddest things to see Woody like that, when I saw him just a few years earlier in concert halls, playing his own music with his own musicians, each of them being a topnotch musician..... Since I don´t know about a Terry Bozzio, I couldn´t contribute more concretly to that thread, but I tried to tell some of my impressions about Woody Shaw.

You welcome, Quasimodo! I´m so glad for all your answers. Autumn Brodacasts: Yes, "Oblivion", two versions, the last one with Bud into "Lullaby of Birdland". Also interesting the 3 versions of "Un Poco Loco". After the great recording of 1951 Bud didn´t give that composition many other tries, here he does....

transitional is the right word! Especially on the first sessions from february, Bud sometimes sounds very much like Tatum, or like a cross between Tatum and Teddy Wilson (Bud´s stride sections on faster tunes like "Hallelujah" or "I want to be happy" sound more like Wilson than Tatum). Later during that year, another influence seemed to get into Bud´s playing: More abstract chords, peaking in some tormented but harmonically interesting things, as the fifties went on. It seems, like Bud had listened to Tristano and had added some of his voicings.

Bud loved Salt Peanuts, he even played it in later years. the last recorded example I know is from Edenville, France 1964. The Birdland-version from 1953 is interesting in what Roy Haynes is doing, indeed. Even better is the version from "Inner Fires" (Elektra Musician), also from spring 1953.

Other examples of *Heart* are on Bud´s trio-album from Massey Hall, where it is added, together with 3 other tunes, dated from september 1953. He also recorded it in the studio for Roost (which in general is considered to be a weaker session).

Hello Michael Weiss! Much of the stuff from 1953 was what I´d say is beyond be-bop. Bud started to explore other sounds. My Heart Stood Still is a very good example. I heard, that some of those intros and codas had been worked out with bass players, Mingus of cours, and later George Duvivier. They are really dialoges between piano and bass....Autumn in New York, Sure Thing etc. ......

Oh yes, Quasimodo! The two tracks with Bird. fantastic! Also from that period (shortly after Massey Hall), I got two tracks from Birdland with Diz , Bud, Mingus, Roach (Woody´n You and Salt Peanuts), on Mythic Sounds. IMHO, Bud....and I say this with all my most honest respect for him!.....made too many trio-recordings. He could be so inspired if playing with other horn-players, like the Birdland 1950 you mentioned, or 1951 with Bird and Diz.

Nobody interested? Can´t believe it, since I jumped on that board when I discovered a thread about Bud´s last recording with so many interesting answers..... Give this a try please.....anybody....

Well, we´ll never know, how it sounded or it looked like, but if it happened, I´m sure they had a ball together and with such great musical minds as Jimmy Smith and Hampton Hawes alltogether, it sure sounded good. In his autobiography "Raise Up Off Me", Hawes doesn´t mention that occasion, but - though his main interest was the piano, he sure was interested in other keyboards too. One example: During the pre-syntizezer era, Slam Steward had some kind of electric equipment you attach to the piano to get different sounds and during intermission, Hawes (who was not part) of Slam´s group wanted to try it out, but was stopped by Slam Steward who said "don´t touch it, not even Art Tatum is allowed to touch it and he´s the greatest pianist". Later, Hawes played electric piano on some occasions (1973 at Montreux, with Dexter and Gene Ammons). He also tells about a keyboard he had at home during that time, which could make the sound of a "drunken cobra". Well I´ll never know what a "drunken cobra" sounds like....

Thank you, Dave James! Well, maybe for a newbie it´s a bit hard to seek out the substantial informations. As about Hank Mobley, I´ve been looking for quite a long time for some informations. The strangest one was about what I think was his very last performance at the Angry Squire in NY just a short time before he died. I know he was present at a BlueNote anniversary but didn´t perform. At least I would have liked to know if there are photos from him, from that occasion.