Bud Powell – The Best Of Bud Powell 1944-62 – Vol. 2 – 2CD

Bud Powell was one of the most important and influential jazz pianists of the post-war era. Brief, patchy and sadly interrupted by illness and misfortune as his career was, he helped change the conventions of jazz piano at the birth of bebop, and introduced techniques taken up by dozens of noted players in his wake, abandoning the established striding left-hand technique in favour of spacey irregular patterns of dissonant chords, while the right hand developed rapid free-flowing melodic lines effectively mimicking the saxophone style of Charlie Parker on the piano. It resulted at times in inspired, brilliant and breathtaking solos, with a daring attack and intensity, which greatly influenced artists of later years such as Bill Evans. We presented a selection of his most noted recordings on “The Best Of Bud Powell 1944-62 Vol. 1” (ADDCD3116), but there were many of equal quality and interest that we could not include, so this 2-CD collection covers a similar era, with pieces selected from a wide spectrum of the projects and periods which gave rise to some of his best-known and most highly regarded performances. The regard in which he was held by his peers is underlined by the litany of jazz greats with whom he performs on many of these recordings, who include Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, Fats Navarro, Art Blakey, Ray Brown, Max Roach, Buddy Rich, Percy Heath, Curly Russell and many more. It’s an absorbing showcase for a fine jazz musician.

Track Listing:

CD1:
Cootie Williams & His Sextette: 1. You Talk A Little Trash -   Frankie Socolow's Duke Quintet: 2. September In The Rain -   Dexter Gordon Quintet: 3. Long Tall Dexter -   Sonny Stitt & His Bebop Boys: 4. Serenade To A Square -   Charlie Parker All Stars: 5. Buzzy -   Bud Powell Trio: 6. Celia -   7. Strictly Confidential - Bud Powell's Modernists: 8. Wail -   Bud Powell Trio: 9. Off Minor -   10. Indiana -   Stars Of Modern Jazz: 11. Move -   Sonny Stitt & Bud Powell Quartet: 12. I Want To Be Happy -   13. Fine And Dandy -   Bud Powell Trio: 14. Sweet Georgia Brown -   15. April In Paris -   16. Get Happy -   Charlie Parker Quintet: 17. Ornithology -   Bud Powell Trio: 18. Tea For Two -   Bud Powell: 19. The Last Time I Saw Paris -   20. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square -   21. Oblivion -

CD2:
Bud Powell Trio: 1. Un Poco Loco -   2. Autumn In New York -   3. Polka Dots And Moonbeams -   4. Round Midnight -   5. Tenderly -   6. Willow Groove -   7. Jump City -   8. Blue Pearl -   9. Frantic Fancies -   10. Scrapple From The Apple -   11. Marmalade -   12. Sub City -   13. John’s Abbey -   14. Danceland -   15. Crossin' The Channel -   The Three Bosses & Friends: 16. Get Happy -   Don Byas/Bud Powell Quartet: 17. I Remember Clifford -