Piano Interpretations by Bud Powell (Remastered Edition) Bud Powell

• 1 Conception 03:33
• 2 East of the Sun (And West of the Moon) 03:52
• 3 Heart and Soul 03:16
• 4 Willow Groove 04:22
• 5 Crazy Rhythm 03:33
• 6 Willow Weep for Me 04:41
• 7 Bean and the Boys 05:11
• 8 Lady Bird 04:42
• 9 Stairway to the Stars 04:55
• Total Runtime 38:05

Info for Piano Interpretations by Bud Powell (Remastered Edition)

"Piano Interpretations" by Bud Powell is a studio album by jazz pianist Bud Powell, released in 1956 by Norgran, featuring two sessions that Powell recorded at Fine Sound Studios in New York in April 1955.

"[T]his is one of Bud’s better sets in the last couple of years and indicates what is finally being realized by some of those who have control over him—that Bud is in increasing control over himself, and that it is no longer necessarily true that the best of Bud is behind him." (DownBeat)

Although it was originally scheduled to be a short tour, Powell would remain for an extended period in the Old Continent, interrupted briefly in 1964, when he returned to the States for his final trip. The pianist was suffering from numerous problems at the time these albums were made. He was commited to a mental hospital from late 1951 to early 1953, following an arrest for possession of marijuana. He would be released into the guardianship of Oscar Goodstein, the owner of the Birdland nightclub. A 1953 trio session (with George Duvivier and Art Taylor) included Powell's composition "Glass Enclosure", inspired by his near-imprisonment in Goodstein's apartment. Following his release from the hospital, Powell's playing began to be seriously affected by Largactil, a drug prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia, and by the late fifties his talent was clearly in eclipse. To add to his misfortunes, his brother Richie - the pianist in the celebrated Max Roach-Clifford Brown quintet - was killed in a 1956 car crash that also took the life of Brown. The accident took place on June 26, less than three months before the recording that produced the second album included here. Musically speaking, Powell's problems were reflected in his playing, which became slower and more imperfect than his amazing work of the preceding years. However, even if the "deterioration" of his technical skills led to negative reviews at the time, it is clear that Bud Powell's music remained extremely interesting and that the pianist's genius was still present.

Bud Powell, piano
George Duvivier, bass
Art Taylor, drums

Recorded April 25th and 27th 1955 atFine Sound Studios, New York
Produced by Norman Granz

Digitally remastered

Bud Powell
Earl "Bud" Powell was born in New York City on September 27, 1924, to a musical family. His grandfather had picked up Flamenco guitar in Cuba during the Spanish American War, and his father, William, was a stride pianist who taught Bud the rudiments of the instrument. He quit school at 15 and began working small clubs in Coney Island. After his regular gigs he would tour the Harlem bars. Thelonious Monk introduced him to the nascent musical revolution at Minton’s. Thus before he was 18, Bud had played with Charlie Christian and Charlie Parker and had come under Monk’s pervasive influence. A year later, when he joined Cootie Williams’ band, he was instrumental in getting Williams to record Monk’s "’Round Midnight."

Bud recorded with Cootie’s big band and sextet in 1944, his first recordings. A year later, at 21, he was arrested in Philadelphia for disorderly conduct and a month after was sent to a mental institution, the first of many.

From that point on, there seemed to be two Bud Powells, the fabulous pianist and the distinctive composer who could be heard on 52nd Street with Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Dizzy Gillespie, Don Byas, Sidney Catlett, and others, and the erratic, heavy-drinking, frequently querulous man who was a patient in a succession of mental institutions.

What we can say with certainty is that between 1947 and 1953, Bud Powell recorded some of the most startling piano music of our time. In later years, the thundering technique withered into incoherence, the fine, steely triphammer melodic lines were dulled — some of the recordings are painful to hear. But the spark of greatness never completely abandoned him and there are moments throughout his brief, tortured career when the intensity of his thought seems to impel his fingers in sustained creativity.

In 1959, Bud Powell moved to Paris where he received some of the recognition due him. His drinking was a constant problem, however, and although he did some substantial playing in this period, he was suffering from tuberculosis as well as alcoholism. Partially motivated by the expenses incurred during his illness, Bud returned to the United States in August 1964. Upon returning to New York, he was warmly received by the fans at Birdland for an extended engagement. The critical response reflected his inconsistency — some insisted he was in top form, others left in embarrassed disappointment. After the Birdland engagement, he lived in Brooklyn and worked sporadically; he appeared on a concert bill with Albert Ayler and Milford Graves.

But Powell died August 1, 1966 — the diagnosis was tuberculosis, alcoholism, and malnutrition. Gary Giddins, Excerpted from: Bud Powell Jazz Giant 829 937-2. Source Verve Records)

This album contains no booklet.