It is incontestable that, with Bud Powell, the piano acquired a major artist. Of those who followed, very few escaped his influence. The exploring right hand, following rather similar lines to those of bop trumpeters and saxophonists, the harmonic subtlety, the impetuous urgency of his phrasing, and the supple articulation of his strong, incisive touch all combined to form a style of which even the most contemporary pianists still bear traces. Jazz pianoplayers benefited from his lesson in their own various ways. Some chose imitation ; others, such as Horace Silver, extracted the quintessence of the Powell approach to create a different, less brilliant, but heady language ; and the stylistic completeness of virtuosi such as Oscar Peterson or Phineas Newborn Jr. owes much of its seductiveness to the Bud Powell influence. Powell himself descended from a famous lineage. Earl Hines had been the first to liberate the piano from the implacable stride style which James P. Johnson and Fats Waller had raised to unsurpassable perfection. Teddy Wilson subsequently endowed the Hines piano with an almost classical poise. Art Tatum, in his turn, imposed sucha breathtaking level of technical and inventive brilliance that it was scarcely possible for him to inspire disciples who could remain faithful to the letter. And Bud idolised Tatum.
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Bud Powell, when he died in 1966 at the age of forty-two, left behind him a series of recordings which clearly reveals the changing fortunes of his dramatic career. At the time of his two sessions for RCA he had recovered his health and psychological balance, and his ever-fertile imagination was given full rein. Total master of his instrument, he is attentively backed by that excellent bassist George Duvivier, whose reliability and eclecticism are qualities much appreciated in the recording studios, and by drummer Art Taylor who, prior to settling in Europe, was one of the most sought-after rhythm men in New York. Amongs the twenty-two titles cut during these two sessions, and now presented complete in a double album for the first time, nine were written by Bud Powell himself : "Croscrane", "Blues for Bessie", "Topsy Turvy", "Elegy", "Jump City", "Oblivion", "Get it", "Birdland Blues" and "Midway". His composing talents are otherwise familiar to us through pieces such as "Budo", "Un Poco Loco", "Parisian Thoroughfare" and "Glass Enclosure". "Croscrane", a typical bop theme, features an unusual exposition with both hands playing in unison. "Blues for Bessie" was a spontaneous improvisation and provides a fine example of pure, sobrely distilled, unpretentious blues. "Topsy Turvy" is reminiscent of certain Thelonius Monk works, on which Bud evolves some subtle, yet substantial variations. The alert swing of "Elegy" belies the title ; whereas "Jump City", a surprisingly catchy melody, reveals Powell's crisp, powerful, yet by no means harsh touch. "Over the Rainbow" and "They Didn't Believe Me abound" in rich chords ; they are played with great lyricism and their atmosphere is dramatic. Time Was, a pleasant ballad from the thirties, is of similar hue. On "I Cover the Waterfront" Bud's right hand reveals some Teddy Wilson touches, whilst the left is occasionally caught playing an almost traditio nal beat. Of the six standards, "Lush Life" is perhaps the most surprising ; few artists succeed in portraying the despair borne by its superficially sophisticated air, but Bud here produces a shatteringly moving performance. On "Another Dozen", based on the traditional twelve-bar blues framework, George Duvivier, its composer, contributes a beautifully poised solo. Powell interprets the ballad Like "Someone in Love" with great lyricism, whilst his left hand demolishes the ridiculous theory that he was a one-handed player. "Salt Peanuts", like "Shawnuff" and "Swedish Pastry", possesses the angular alertness typical of bop themes ; a virtuoso, Bud proves it with the precision of his phrasing and the suspense of his breaks. She, which at the hands of others would scarcely be more than a piece of harmless charm, is here a finely sculpted, grave improvisation. "Get it" is an obvious imitation of the old "Love Me or Leave Me", whereas the powerful chords that Bud produces on "In the Blue of the Evening" ensure that this sentimental ballad does not remain insipid. After "Birdland Blues", a classic blues dedicated to the now defunct temple of Jazz, "Midway" brings this indispensable album to a brilliant close. It is an album for all those who refuse to forget Bud Powell, an artist for whom greatness was never easy.
Claude Carrière (from the original Liner Notes - Translation by Don Waterhouse)
Strictly &Swingin' with
Bud Powell
Tracks
Lp 1
1 There'll Never Be Another You (Gordon, Warren) 3:43
2 Coscrane (Powell) 3:45
3 Over the Rainbow (Arlen, Harburg) 3:21
4 Blues for Bessie (Powell) 5:40
5 Time Was (Luna, Prado, Russell) 3:10
6 Topsy Turvy (Powell) 4:37
7 Lush Life (Strayhorn) 2:54
8 Elegy (Powell) 3:50
9 They Didn't Believe Me (Kern) 3:21
10 I Cover the Waterfront (Green, Heyman) 2:34
11 Jump City (Powell) 3:23
2 Coscrane (Powell) 3:45
3 Over the Rainbow (Arlen, Harburg) 3:21
4 Blues for Bessie (Powell) 5:40
5 Time Was (Luna, Prado, Russell) 3:10
6 Topsy Turvy (Powell) 4:37
7 Lush Life (Strayhorn) 2:54
8 Elegy (Powell) 3:50
9 They Didn't Believe Me (Kern) 3:21
10 I Cover the Waterfront (Green, Heyman) 2:34
11 Jump City (Powell) 3:23
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Lp 2
1 Another Dozen (Duvivier) 3:31
2 Like Someone in Love (VanHeusen, Vurke) 4:58
3Salt Peanuts (Clarke, Gillespie) 2:24
4 She (Powell) 5:09
5 Swedish Pastry (Kessel) 3:20
6 Shaw Nuff (Gillespie, Parker) 3:18
7 Oblivion (Powell) 2:34
8 In the Blue of the Evening (Adair, D'Artega) 3:26
9 Get It (Powell) 3:08
10 Birdland Blues (Powell) 4:22
11 Midway (Powell) 3:13
*
Personnel
Bud Powell -p
George Duvivier - b
Art Taylor - dr
Recorded in New York City ; October 5, 1956 [# 1-11] ; & February 11, 1957 [# 12-22]
Tracks # 1-11 from "Strictly Powell" (RCA Victor LPM-1423)
Tracks # 12-22 from "Swingin' With Powell" (RCA Victor LPM-1507)