Complete Bud Powell Blue Note/Roost and Verve

[John L]

I'm also rather fond of the very last Verve session: Blues in the Closet with Ray Brown and Osie Johnson.

[Head Man]

The Verve box has now been given a budget reissue in the EU.

£16.13 for 5 discs at Amazon UK.

Much good music but also considerable chaff amongst the wheat. This set is a warts and more warts approach to Bud. It needed braver editorial decisions. Sometimes less really is more.

Agreed. I find that his albums for Blue Note plus the two he made for RCA, 'Strictly Powell' and 'Swingin' with Bud', are more than enough for me.

Well... while the point about the inconsistency of the Verve recordings is a good one, the early Verve dates from 1949-1951 are really as good as it gets. If I could have only one set of Bud Powell recordings, that would be it. I couldn't imagine any Bud Powell fan being content without them.

You're right about the early Verve dates, I should have included them as well. I'm still not a fan of the later ones though.

[paul secor]

Just received it. There is a booklet but it's only the tracklisting (looks like it was copied from the original).

Too bad the booklet isn't the complete one. The running commentary on the tracks by Barry Harris and Michael Weiss makes a fascinating complement to the music. You have the music and that's the most imporatnt thing. You can do your own commentary in your head as the music plays.

[Gheorghe]

I'm also rather fond of the very last Verve session: Blues in the Closet with Ray Brown and Osie Johnson.

I love his ballad interpretations here: Above all the version of "I Should Care" played in another key than usual (D-flat). That´s one of the best versions of that tune, that I heard. And "I didn´t know what time it was".

Woodyn You and My Heart stood still are also solid, same about "Elogie" which is much better here than on the Victor LP.

Nobody mentions the second Roost session from 1953. That´s also nice Bud, a bit subdued, but still fine....

[jazzbo]

Naxos (originally I swear I saw it was ESP Disk) is putting out a three cd set of Birdland '53 tracks.

Edited February 10, 2014 by jazzbo

[paul secor]

I wouldn't trade the 1954 Verve version of "It Never Entered My Mind" for any other Bud recording - Any Other.

[.:.impossible]

Naxos (originally I swear I saw it was ESP Disk) is putting out a three cd set of Birdland '53 tracks.

I found this, but nothing on the ESP site.

http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/Naxos_USA/february-2014-canada-nrg/2014012101/86.html

[mjzee]

Amazon lists release date as February 25. Weird that the Naxos site claims these are not airchecks; weren't those the source for Boris Rose?

Edited February 11, 2014 by mjzee

[jazzbo]

The source for these ARE Rose airchecks. So far I've only listened to the first disc, but the sound is much better than from any other version of this material I have heard. They certainly are NOT scrubbed and polished with excessive no-noise.

[mjzee]

Naxos (originally I swear I saw it was ESP Disk) is putting out a three cd set of Birdland '53 tracks.

Now Amazon says it's from ESP. (?!?)

[jazzbo]

Yes, it's ESP. Naxos possibly distributes.

Edited February 27, 2014 by jazzbo

[romualdo]

it's listed on the esp-disk website

http://www.espdisk.com/official/catalog/4073.html

on special now for $19.99

looks like it's been remastered with revised discography notes

[Head Man]

A recent e-mail from Downtown Music Gallery:

BUD POWELL TRIO s With CHARLES MINGUS or OSCAR PETTIFORD or FRANKLIN
SKEETES or GEORGE DUVIVIER or CURLY RUSSELL/ROY HAYNES or ART TAYLOR
or SONNY PAYNE + CHARLIE PARKER/DIZZY GILLESPIE/CANDIDO - Birdland
1953 (ESP Disk 4073; USA) Bud Powell ranks as one of the most
influential pianists in jazz history, his style having provided the
template for innumerable bebop pianists who followed in his wake.
This newly compiled and mastered three-CD set captures Powell at his
peak on his home turf at the famed Birdland club, recorded onsite
(these are not "air checks" taped from radio), and mostly working
with top-notch sidemen such as Charles Mingus, Oscar Pettiford, Roy
Haynes, and Art Taylor, along with guest appearances by Charlie
Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Producer Michael D. Anderson fixed pitch
problems and personnel listings that have plagued previous versions
of some of this material from the collection of Boris Rose as issued
on other labels.
From Russ Musto's booklet essay: "Powell biographer Peter Pullman
noted, in his carefully researched volume Wail: The Life of Bud
Powell, that 1953 was 'the busiest year of Powell's career.' After
having spent more than sixteen months in various mental institutions,
where he was subjected to electroshock therapy, the great pianist was
finally released early in that year. Declared 'incompetent' by the
state of New York, he was placed under the supervision of Oscar
Goodstein, his personal manager and the manager of Birdland, who
booked 'Powell to play for twenty weeks at the club,' according to
Pullman. The regular work that the pianist had during the year
allowed him to regain much of the virtuoso technique that had often
eluded him after repeated nervous breakdowns; on good nights (several
of which are documented here) he once again proved that he was indeed
'The Amazing Bud Powell.'"
3 CD box set for $27

[blind-blake]

Holy shit!

[mjzee]

Is there anything in this box that wasn't on the 4 ESP 1953 albums?

[jazzbo]

I don't know. I'm waiting for you to do the research and tell me.

I will say this: it hasn't sounded this good elsewhere.

Edited March 1, 2014 by jazzbo

[kh1958]

I ordered a copy from importcds through amazon; I can't wait to hear it.

[Eric]

Is there anything in this box that wasn't on the 4 ESP 1953 albums?

Were the Parker & Gillespie tracks on the ESP albums? I thought they were trio only.

Having a listen on my favorite "preview" site (Spotify). Listening on a lousy computer speaker, but they do sound better than the older CDs. Kind of a no-brainer for $19.99 off the ESP site.

Edit: Pulled the trigger - note that you receive downloadable files upon online purchase - WAV files, no less.

Edited March 1, 2014 by Eric

[soulpope]

Any additional impressions from Forummembers meanwhile ?

[jazzbo]

I'm really enjoying these discs. I haven't pulled out my Fresh Sound and earlier ESP Disk copies for comparison, they may still be in a box since my move across the nation and I haven't had the time to pull and do comparisons but I'm pretty sure all these tracks are improved here.

[soulpope]

I'm really enjoying these discs. I haven't pulled out my Fresh Sound and earlier ESP Disk copies for comparison, they may still be in a box since my move across the nation and I haven't had the time to pull and do comparisons but I'm pretty sure all these tracks are improved here.

@jazzbo : thnx for the feedback, being always interested regarding your contributions and assesments !!

Edited March 25, 2014 by soulpope

[ghost of miles]

Just bought it--very timely, as I'm putting together a Night Lights show about Birdland recordings this very week. The .wav files certainly sound better than my old ESP discs, based on the first several tracks that I've listened to... thanks for the heads-up about that, Eric.

[AllenLowe]

great set of discs; terrible notes.

[mjzee]

Is there anything in this box that wasn't on the 4 ESP 1953 albums?

Well, to answer my own question, the material with Dizzy and Bird, and the Dance of the Infidels from August 29.

[mjzee]

I regret that ESP didn't use the covers from their 4 original releases - those were really nice. This new package looks like it could have been designed by the ESP circa 1965 (not a compliment).