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"Bud has to pour himself into that piano; it's the only friend he really talks to." — Altevia "Buttercup" Edwards (Powell) I'm going to guess that this is not the first Powell record that people reach for when they want to listen to Bud Powell. Recorded in two different sessions in 1955, it's an odd mixture of high and low: effortless lines reminiscent of his brilliant mid-40's playing, and then suddenly blunted, aimless fragments while the rhythm section keeps things afloat. Nat Hentoff's original liner notes make no effort to disguise this: "Bud's records are, in this respect, like his live appearances. They're not consistent. Some may be distorted in various ways throughout an entire album; some may come fully alive only in sections ... " What a way to promote a purchase! Hentoff's notes got me thinking about Powell's mental illness, however — and the fact that Powell was put on Chlorpromazine, which was a brand new drug as of 1950 — and to what extent he might have experienced tardive dyskinesia (involuntary and repetitive movements of the face, torso, and sometimes fingers), which is a common, and serious, side effect of Chlorpromazine. What Powell had to overcome, just in order to play, might still not be known. At any rate, despite its curiosities and shortcomings, I find this record an intriguing listen — particularly the Monk cover of "Epistrophy." Anyone else spin this one in the last year? What do you think? I know that Powell fans "like it all," but this one stands out in that it's neither great nor a portrait of chaos.

LF a (copy) of "Verve's Choice: The Best of Count Basie," 1964.

I went for Basie/Beatles and Standing Ovation, Gil Evans/Priestess and Kikuchi, Bley/77, and Buddy Rich/Mercy mercy (hoping for a better remastering than in the current release). This is the listing auto-translated: ◇ Count Basie / Basie picks The Winners (UCCU-90118) ◇ Count Basie / Basie At Newport 57 (UCCU-90119) ◇ Count Basie / standing ovation (UCCU-90120) ◇ Count Basie / Ella and Basie (UCCU-90121) ◇ Count Basie / Beishizu Beetle bag (UCCU-90122) ◇ Thad Jones = Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra / New Life (UCCU-90123) ◇ Thad Jones = Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra / Central Park North (UCCU-90124) ◇ Thad Jones = Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra / Live At The Village Vanguard (UCCU-90125) ◇ Mel Lewis / Mel Lewis & Friends (UCCU-90126) ◇ Gil Evans / Kikuchi Masaaki WITH Gil Evans (UCCU-90127) ◇ Gil Evans / out-of-cool (UCCU-90128) ◇ Gil Evans / Into The hot (UCCU-90129) ◇ Gil Evans / individuality and development (UCCU-90130) ◇ Gil Evans / Purisutisu (UCCU-90131) ◇ Quincy Jones / I think of jazz (UCCU-90132) ◇ Quincy Jones / Walking-in-a-space (UCCU-90133) ◇ Quincy Jones / The Quintessence (UCCU-90134) ◇ Quincy Jones / Quincy Jones At Newport '61 (UCCU-90135) ◇ Quincy Jones / Great Wide World of Quincy Jones (UCCU-90136) ◇ Buddy Rich / THIS ONES FOR Basie (UCCU-90137) ◇ Buddy Rich / Mercy, Mercy - Live At Shizasu Palace 1968 (UCCU-90138) ◇ Oliver Nelson / Live From Los Angeles (UCCU-90139) ◇ Carla Bley / Live (UCCU-90140) ◇ Carla Bley / European Tour 1977 (UCCU-90141) ◇ Benny Carter / Father di Fini Schons (UCCU-90142) ◇ Benny Carter / Addition-to-Father Definishonzu (UCCU-90143) ◇ Dizzy Gillespie / At Newport (UCCU-90144) ◇ Duke Ellington / Soul Call (UCCU-90145) ◇ Count Basie / Montreux '77 (UCCO-90391) ◇ Woody Herman / Giant Steps (UCCO-90392) http://www.universal-music.co.jp/jazz/big-band?productPage=1 Enjoy Alex

Trying to raise $ to buy some guitar equipment so I'm sadly putting this set on the market. All CDs have been been played but everything is in excellent condition. If interested I'm happy to send pictures of box, booklet, cases and CDs. I'm asking $300 USD and will pay for shipping on my end (US Only). If you're interested please PM me or send me a email @ walter.gross@gmail.com