Gheorghe

After I´ve read the very interesting thread about Bud´s recordings from 1957/58, I was once more listening frequently to Bud´s music for the last week. I´d like to start a discussion about Bud´s activity during 1953 since I always thought Bud went through a quite interesting musical developement during that year. It´s like a kind of transition between the early Bud and his later recordings. The best known recordings are those from Massey Hall, and the BlueNote-date with Glass Enclosure. Also, I like very much a recording with Mingus and Roy Haynes from Washington. Yesterday I purchased the 4 CDs of broadcasts from Birdland (ESP-Disk "Winter,-Spring,-Summer,-Autumnsessions"). Of course I knew most of that music from diverse LP-issues from long ago (some of them quite hidous bootlegs). The Wintersession is particulary interesting for Buds left-hand playing which is surprisingly strong with some of his most exiting stride-section on "I Want To Be Happy". I always liked Bud´s version of "Embraceable You" which seems to be much more a new composition, rather than a rendition of that standard-ballad. But I observed that the music has very much complexity on the earlier dates from that year, and the autumn-sessions are less intense. Same can be said about a studio-date he made during that time for Roost. I know that the first recordings were done just 2 days after Bud was released from a long stay at a mental hospital. I wonder if he had the opportunity to practice during that time, because his playing is so strong. What happened after september 1953?

I love everything Hank Mobley played and often wondered why we know such a few facts about his live. Even a biography about Hank Mobley that was ´published this year doesn´t reveal much about the person Hank Mobley. I´m really a fan of his music and think he was a genious in what he was doing. So I was looking forward finding some informations on this discussion, but I must admit I´m a bit disappointed....

I must admit, I also wondered why this album is on BlueNote, because you wouldn´t expect that. It´s a great album, really! Well, about BlueNote stuff recorded in Europe.....there are a few more examples: Dizzy Reece "Blues in Trinity" (which I think was recorded in London though they had to write on the liner notes that it was recorded in France, it has something to do with a record ban they had in UK), Dexter Gordon "Our Man in Paris", "One Flight UP", Ornette Coleman "Golden Circle Vol1+2". Some of those records were produced by Frank Wolff who went to Europe quite often. But it wasn´t Wolff who produced "Golden Eight", it was Gigi Campi, the famous Gigi Campi from Köln/Germany. About the musicians: You mentioned Karl Drewo. Of course I saw him live on many occasions in Austria (where he came from). It´s too bad he died to early. It was always a great pleasure to hear him, and he was such a nice man. In his hometown St. Gilgen/Wolfgangsee near Salzburg they still have a "Karl Drewo-Jazzfestival" each year.

You are talking about that album "In The Land of Oo Blaa Dee"? Yes, I purchased it. Because I always did like Eager´s sound and lines on many sessions from the 40´s , mostly with Fats. The stuff from Boston 1953 is really nice, a typical club-performance from that time. I also really like that one track "Some Blues" . But I remember, one of the last tracks is a slow blues, which would be great, but the drummer is just terrible.

Eager´s performance on that "Saturday Night Swing Session" really knocked me out. I first bought it because of Fats Navarro, who plays on those two tracks "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "High on an open mike". The best solos of Eager, together with that sessions I heard on the live-album Tadd Dameron-Fats Navarro from Royal Roost 1948. I´m a freak of Fats Navarro and Tadd Dameron, but Eager really takes care of business. His solos are as well-constructed as Fats´solos and he really has a beautiful sound. The same thing can be said about the BlueNote date from 1948, where Eager and Wardell Gray are playing. Another great example is on one of the three broadcasts from 1947 ("Bands for Bonds"), where Eager is featured with Bird, Fats, Lennie Tristano etc. and has a great feature on "Grooovin´High".

I was 32 years old when he died. Miles was the reason I became a jazz-fan. The first jazz-record I ever heard (or better let´s say: "I liked") was one of his Prestige-recordings and this was the start of a live-long love affair with jazz. Whatever I´d listen to...from bop to 60´s avant-garde and some of the electric-stuff, Miles always was the centre of everything. I was lucky I saw him quite often, even though I would have preferred to see him live with one of his quintets from the 50´s or 60´s .

I remember Ingrid Jensen about 18 years ago, while she stayed in Viena. From the first note on I knew there´s a great voice on trumpet for the future. She was very very young then, but really had her stuff together. Fantastic! During that time I still played piano on a semiprofessional base, doing club dates. One time, a couple of players, among them a great saxophonist from Romania (Nicolas Simion), I don´t remember the bass player, the drummer was also from Romania, Ingrid Jensen and me decided to do a "gig", playing for a wedding somewhere at a country-hotel/restaurant. Not the ideal surroundings for jazz, but we managed to pick up a program with at least lots of "easier-listening" jazz-standards. As I told you, it was a gas to play with Ingrid Jensen, she also seemed to like what I played behind her while soloing. During intermission I told her I´m a Bud Powell freak, she said she´d like to do a club date with some be-bop repertory (stuff like "Bouncing with Bud", "Wail", "Dance of the Infidels"). I had some personal problems to resolve during that somehow unhappy time, and started having doubts about playing further more in public. Anyway, Ingrid Jenses sure had better offers even then, but always if I read her name I think "wow, did it really happen? I actually played with her once, a long long time ago..... It really makes me happy she´s a big name in jazz and playing wonderful music. I was aware, that she´s a rising star, but she was really really a kind young lady. Once , just for fun she played on a keyboard with an organ sound and it really grooved, with that good Jimmy Smith-feeling. I asked her "is there anything you c a n ´t play?.....

Great! I´d wish I could hear you playing..... Today I also did a little private "Bud Powell session", but I concentrated on tunes not written by Bud, but from his repertory: "I Hear Music", "Little Willie Leaps" (oh boy, that line often throws me )....and a version of "Round Midnight". 'But I´m sure you playin´better than me!

Maybe Bud was the first person to notice that. Anyway, he started to play one of Horace Silver´s compositions (No Smoking), and also his last recordings like "Ups `n Downs"....it almost sounds like a Horace Silver composition. As much as I admire Bud as a composer I think his best compositions were from the early days. Themes he composed toward the end like "In A Mood For A Classic", "Yeheadeadeadee" (with it´s "Clock Sound" on the bass"), "Margarete" etc. are simple, beautiful lines, but compared to other stuff it sounds (even if I hate to say so) somehow corny....

Hey ccex, you also playin´piano? Great, me to. got a helluva compliment some time ago from my wife. I first was listening to some solo-Bud, and she was in the other room. Later I switched on piano and did some of Bud´s tunes and she said "oh that´s you playin´now? I thought it´s still the record since it sounds the same" ..... Well, I too sound more like late Bud, but nevertheless I try to play some of the faster stuff (Cherokee, Salt Peanuts, 52´nd Street Theme). Another word about Bud´s playing around 1957: You sure know "Bud on Bach"...well, I also got another version of it on a Mythic CD "Cookin´at Saint Germain" and the first tune is "Bud on Bach". Bud uses it as an intro for a fantastic version of "Yesterdays" (both tunes have the same key c-minor).....

I saw three fotos on the site from ESP disk a few months ago. but that photo-gallery disappeared. I also saw the photo of Diz with Bud . First I thought it might be backstage on Carnegi Hall, since that date in march 1965 was a Parker Memorial. Well, anyway. I was shocked how unwell Bud looks on those photos. The last photos of Bud I saw where done at Kings County Hospital just a few days before he died. Buttercup (Mrs. Altevia Edwards, Bud´s "spouse" during the Paris days). Other photos where done by Daniel Berger, those, together with Don Schlitten´s photos from May 1th 1965 (TownHall) are the last photos of Bud.

Hi Brad! Always great to read from Bud Powell-fans! About the Xandadu "Bud in Paris": The two tracks of duet between Bud and Griff, I really doubt it´s from 1960. This might be from 1964, since Griffin came to Paris at the end of 1962 to stay for quite a long time. I´m sure the two tracks "Idaho" and "Perdido" were done in Francis´home. the rest is from late 1959 until october 1960 (for tracks "Oscar Pettiford memorial concert". About the other Black Lions: One is titled "Bud at Home/Strictly Confidential" and has Bud with Francis playing brushes on newspaper on some tracks. What followed was "The Invisible Cage", sometimes titled as "Blues for Bouffemont" , a trio recording from July 1964. After that was "Hot House" (some issues titled as "Salt Peanuts") from Edenville, France, August 1964. It was done just before Bud returned to the States. The tracks with Griffin are the best. I also have rare CDs (Mythic Sound) from that period: "Relaxin´at home", "Holidays in Edenville" with a 17 minutes runnig version of "Hot House" with Griffin.

Actually, Bud did his last recording for Verve in september 1956 ("Blues In The Closet") "Strictly Powell" was done a month later, just before Bud went to Europe for the first time (tour "Birdland ´56"). "Swinging with Bud" sounds much more like vintage Bud Powell, he´s much more his old self on "Shaw ´Nuff" or "Salt Peanuts". A few words about Bud´s last record for BlueNote "The Scene Changes": It´s quite interesting how Bud sounds much more like Sonny Clark on that record. It seems he had listened to some of the BlueNote albums by his younger fellow musicians and tried to run with the "hard boppers". Tunes like "Danceland", "Duid Deed" really sound like Sonny Clark.

Hello ccex! Count me in as a very very loyal fan of Bud Powell. I´m glad you opened that topic, I could tell you very much about Bud and his music. The mentioned record "Ups´n Downs" for a long time had been an enigma for me. I first saw it mentioned on a japanese illustrated discography during the late 70´s as his last record, that means recorded after the 1964 "Return of Bud Powell", supposed to be from "late 1964, early 1965". Until at last I got that LP I was puzzled about the fact that the album lines mentioned it as being from the "mid fifties" which can´t be true. So I was glad to read Claude Schlouch´s discography, because he also shares my opinion that it´s Bud´s very last recording. I understand Mr. Masayuti Hatta´s opinion that it´s "fake" applause on most tracks, but IMHO not on "Round Midnight". I´m quite sure it´s recorded at a large concert hall (Carnegie), since the sound of the piano is the sound of a well tuned concert-grand. Let me say something about one other tune from that album: "Earl´s Impro". As other people here say, we shouldn´t think Bud himself gave the titles to the tunes. Actually, "Earl´s Impro" was composed by Bud in september 1964 during the time of his 40th birthday, celebrated with some friends (music lover Marshall Evans) on the Fire Islands, where Marshall had a house on the beach. On that occasion, Bud composed a few tunes ("Marshall´s Tower", "Margarete" and "Oh Boy"). I saw the manuscripts of that compositions, and "Earl´s Impro" from the Mainstream-record actually is "Oh Boy". About "No Smoking": I have a recording of it from Birdland, with J.C. Moses and John Ore. It´s played quite fast, but since Bud just played it without rehearsing, the theme-interpretation is quit shaky, but Bud really recovers during his first improvised chorus. The other tune "Margarete" , I also got it on my collection. Bud had dedicated it to Miss Margarete Nielsen, who was close to him. It´s nothing special, just sounds like a medium-tempo version of "I´ll keep loving you" (Bud´s famous ballad from 1949). Once I saw an interview with Margarethe Nielsen on TV, she talked about Bud´s last years and I was quite astonished to hear the tune "Margarete" running in the background. Bud´s daughter Celia also talked on that film. I think it was Francis Paudras´ project and shortly after his death they showed it on swiss-TV. I´d really like to have it recorded, too bad I don´t have it. It´s not easy for me to exchange impressions about Bud, since I don´t know nobody who shares my love for his music (at least the way I do), so I´d be a happy man if I could exchange my impressions and feelings about Bud and his music. Gheo