Search - Bud Powell :: The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1

Bud's the man!

12/14/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not a big fan of alternate takes myself, but on this record, they're a treat. Listen to the way Bud creates new solos take after take (while his famous sidemen play the same solo over and over), and you'll conclude that he was drawing from either a limitless imagination or a *huge* bag of riffs. Either way, this is a great CD of Bud at his best."

Classic Bud Powell

07/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bud Powell was one the giants of modern music, the equal of Charlie Parker and pianistically, the equal of Art Tatum. To this day, Powell is underappreciated for his innovations, and for the new pianistic language he created. His recording career was tragically inconsistent, mirroring his torturous life. There is no question that at his best, nobody on earth could (and still cannot) touch Bud Powell. "Amazing Bud Powell" v. 1 is typically the first stop for those interested in Powell. It is one of the great recordings, and offers Powell at his best. The quintets, which contain the definitive performances of "Bouncing With Bud" and "Dance of the Infidels" are superb. Fats Navarro and Sonny Rollins are magnificent as well. The trio cuts are jaw droppers, particularly the haunting rendition of "You Go to My Head", and the acrobatic takes of "Un Poco Loco" (which for some, may be hard to get into). Newcomers to Powell should probably begin with the 1949-1951 Verve trios and work their way here."