Early Bud Powell

[bneuman]

I've recently become mildly obsessed with the work of Bud Powell and Charlie Parker. So, I am trying to get my hands on as much early/prime (i.e., pre-1953) Bud Powell as I can.

In particular, I'm trying to find Powell's first trio session (where he does 'Indiana', 'I'll Remember April', etc), and his first (I think) session with Sonny Stitt, which I think is different from the session(s) documented on 'Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell, J.J. Johnson'.

I know the trio session is covered on the out-of-print Roost/Blue Note box set, which I would love to get my hands on. It is also released (along with the Stitt session) on a Chronological Classics release, 'Bud Powell 1945-47'. I discovered when transcribing Indiana off that release that the trio tracks at least are half a pitch sharp. This has done wonders for my ability to play Indiana in Gb, but I'd like to hear a better copy.

I'm also interested in any and all live recordings of Powell from that period, whatever the sound quality. There's the Massey Hall stuff, of course. I found a Parker album called 'Bebop & Bird, Vol 1', which features a pretty killing set from Birdland in 1950 with Parker, Navarro, Powell, and Blakey.

I'd much appreciate any advice on how to wade through all the out-of-print/poorly mastered/etc options and find copies of any of the above I can actually buy. Powell's discography unfortunately seems to be much less ordered/available than Parker's. Anyone who also wants to pitch in about any Powell, early or late, I'm missing/must hear, please do.

Thanks.

[AllenLowe]

I would add the early small group stuff with Cootie Williams (one title was Floogie Boo, I think); also, I have, on one of the those Paudra CDs, an early version of him (maybe 1944) doing West End Blues in a broadcast with Cootie (this will be on my upcoming blues box).

[fasstrack]

I've recently become mildly obsessed with the work of Bud Powell and Charlie Parker. So, I am trying to get my hands on as much early/prime (i.e., pre-1953) Bud Powell as I can.

In particular, I'm trying to find Powell's first trio session (where he does 'Indiana', 'I'll Remember April', etc), and his first (I think) session with Sonny Stitt, which I think is different from the session(s) documented on 'Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell, J.J. Johnson'.

I know the trio session is covered on the out-of-print Roost/Blue Note box set, which I would love to get my hands on. It is also released (along with the Stitt session) on a Chronological Classics release, 'Bud Powell 1945-47'. I discovered when transcribing Indiana off that release that the trio tracks at least are half a pitch sharp. This has done wonders for my ability to play Indiana in Gb, but I'd like to hear a better copy.

I'm also interested in any and all live recordings of Powell from that period, whatever the sound quality. There's the Massey Hall stuff, of course. I found a Parker album called 'Bebop & Bird, Vol 1', which features a pretty killing set from Birdland in 1950 with Parker, Navarro, Powell, and Blakey.

I'd much appreciate any advice on how to wade through all the out-of-print/poorly mastered/etc options and find copies of any of the above I can actually buy. Powell's discography unfortunately seems to be much less ordered/available than Parker's. Anyone who also wants to pitch in about any Powell, early or late, I'm missing/must hear, please do.

Thanks.

The earliest Bud I heard was an airshot with the Cootie Williams Orchestra. They play Round Midnight and he doesn't solo. But it's an interesting historical document, from ther early '40s. I don't know if it's available on CD. Phil Schaap always plays it on Bird Flight.

All the other stuff is easlily available. Also look for Summit Meeting at Birdland w/Bird, Blakey, and Gillespie (or was it Fats N.?) From 1950, I think, and definitely on CD. I don't know if this is the CD it's on, but there's a classic solo he plays live with Bird on Round Midnight.

Good luck.

[Teasing the Korean]

The Roost stuff was elusive for many years. There was an individual CD of it, but I think it is now available only as part of a Blue Note box set.

There was also a 2-LP compilation called "The Bebop Boys," consisting of early bop sessions on Savoy. Bud Powell is a sideman on several sides. Not sure if or how this material is presented on CD.

[jazzbo]

Very little is in print now I think. Hopefully more will come back into print.

The way I feel about Bud, especially early and middle Bud, I'd say just grab whatever you see. As for sonics, if it comes from the "owning label" it will most likely sound the best. But don't be too picky, if you see it, if it's in the time frame you want to collect, grab it.

[kh1958]

There is a used "like new" copy of the Bud Powell Blue Note/Roost box on sale by an Amazon.com seller right now for $52.

[Victor Christensen]

Hi

I love Bud P. and can recommend a Proper Box(4 CD's, English issue) called Tempus Fugue-It, it contains a lot of his early

recordings. Good hunting.

Vic

[Chuck Nessa]

As far as I know, the only speed corrected version of the early Roost masters is in the Blue Note box unless one of the EU companies copied those masters.

[bneuman]

The other week I grabbed a compilation under Powell's name titled 'Mad Bebop'. That has 3 or 4 tracks with 'The Bebop Boys' -- I think they do a proto-Wail, proto-Bouncing with Bud, and a Cherokee sans melody. The compilation also includes his session with Dexter, a session with J.J. Johnson, and three of the tracks from his Parker session.

I was hoping there'd be some alternative to getting a used version of the whole Roost/Blue Note set, but that might be the best way to go. While I wish I could follow Jazzbo's advice, I'm not sure that's viable on the income of a young jazz musician. Maybe after the giftcard season.

On a quick preview of the Proper box via Amazon, it sounds like 'Indiana' sits somewhere in between the key of F and Gb. I'm not concerned with sound quality so much as pitch/speed correction. I always feel a little cheated when I realize that the burning solo on such and such wasn't quite _that_ fast.

Thanks for all the responses. I will look into some of that Cootie Williams -- I didn't realize much/any of that was in print.

[Teasing the Korean]

So how was the sound/pitch on the individual Roost disc that came out on BN in the 80s or 90s?

[Chuck Nessa]

So how was the sound/pitch on the individual Roost disc that came out on BN in the 80s or 90s?

Wrong. This was corrected in the box. That was my point.

[Teasing the Korean]

Gotcha.

I spoke too soon about that "Bebop Boys" comp. Bud is only on four tracks, one session, with Kenny Dorham and Sonny Stitt from 1946.

[ghost of miles]

I'm guessing that just about everything I have is OOP, but here are some dates/CDs to look for:

*Bud Powell, EARLY YEARS OF A GENIUS 1944-48. This is the first volume in the Paudras Mythic Sound series and has the recording of "West End Blues" that Allen mentions, more material with Cootie Williams, and half a dozen airshots from a 12/19/1948 Royal Roost date that included Lee Konitz, J.J. Johnson, Cecil Payne, Max Roach and others. Been ages since I listened to it and I don't recall the Konitz/J.J. broadcast being quite as incredible as the assembled starpower might suggest, but you do get to hear some Bud solos. The Royal Roost material shows up on another CD as well somewhere, I'm pretty sure.

*Charlie Parker and the Stars of Modern Jazz at Carnegie Hall, Christmas 1949. One Bud track, but it's a good one--All God's Children Got Rhythm w/Curley Russell and Max Roach. Lots of great bop-progressive bop combos on this one, and Bird's quintet (w/Red Rodney) wraps it up by blazing through five Savoy-era numbers.

*All of that Parker-Blakey-Powell-Fats Birdland material came out on a double-LP in the late 1970s called ONE NIGHT IN BIRDLAND, reissued on CD in the early 1990s (iirc) in Japan...it floated around U.S. stores for awhile. That music has come out on a # of Parker compilations over the years.

*Charlie Parker and the All-Stars w/Diz, Bud, Tommy Potter and Roy Haynes, from Birdland, March 31, 1951. Another really good set--they do "Blue 'n Boogie," "Anthropology," "Round Midnight," and "Night in Tunisia." This and the 1950 Birdland performances were bunched together on a 4-CD set called COMPLETE BIRD AT BIRDLAND 1950-51 a few years ago.

*All of the Powell live-at-Birdland airshots from 1953... they came out on 4 ESP discs, also on 2 discs from another label (Fresh Sound?).

Great topic--I had a similar obsession myself a few years back and tried to track down as many Powell live recordings as I could from the same period. It would be nice if there was a good Savoy overview of his key sideman dates, but probably won't happen any time soon (or ever).

Edited November 20, 2009 by ghost of miles

[jazzbo]

There was a Japanese minilp facimile cd of the Powell Roost material which I think was pitch-corrected; it came out after the Powell box set and was US remastered.

I guess what I meant was. . . most of this material is not in print. . . if you see it in your shopping, sieze the opportunity. One can hope that in the future there will be a cohesive collection. . . I'd buy it, definitely. We can hope, right?

If you see any of the Mythic Sounds cds with material in this time period, grab them, they're excellent.

[brownie]

The Bud Powell series CDs on Mythic Sounds are nearly impossible to find by now!

[jazzbo]

Yes, I know. But strange things happen.

[Larry Kart]

I'm not a disinterested party, having written the notes (kind of, actually) for Ben's first album (though I did so out of admiration, not mere friendship):

http://www.oa2records.com/oa2/artists/arti...hp?Artist_ID=74

but he's a fine young (age 21) player whose heart is in the right place:

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&amp...1g-sx1g1g-sx4g2

http://www.myspace.com/benneuman

[ghost of miles]

Listening to "Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" on the MySpace site right now--nice! I'll check out the whole CD, Larry...thanks for the rec.

[JSngry]

I'd have to think that aside from the Cootie there is no true "early" Bud on record, at least if by "early" you mean still not-quite fully formed as an individual voice.

[bichos]

don´t forget the "swapping horn" session from poss. during april 1947 (other sources say poss. ca. 1945) where charlie parker and allen eager swope horns on one tune. it´s on the wonderful "uptown" allen eager "in the land of oo-bla-dee"!

keep boppin´

marcel

[AllenLowe]

actually, there is "early" Bud - the 1947 Roosts, great as they are, show that his ballad playing was not really developed yet, more ponderous than deep, as I see it. Compare to the great 1949-1953 period.

[JSngry]

I hear ya' on that, but then again, that ponderosity, besides being integral to the Cartwright family, was kinda part and parcel of his ballad playing all the way through, at least in terms of "style", at least to my ears.

Then again (again), isn't ballad playing the last thing to come together for just about everybody?

[Brad]

I'm guessing that just about everything I have is OOP, but here are some dates/CDs to look for:

*Bud Powell, EARLY YEARS OF A GENIUS 1944-48. This is the first volume in the Paudras Mythic Sound series and has the recording of "West End Blues" that Allen mentions, more material with Cootie Williams, and half a dozen airshots from a 12/19/1948 Royal Roost date that included Lee Konitz, J.J. Johnson, Cecil Payne, Max Roach and others. Been ages since I listened to it and I don't recall the Konitz/J.J. broadcast being quite as incredible as the assembled starpower might suggest, but you do get to hear some Bud solos. The Royal Roost material shows up on another CD as well somewhere, I'm pretty sure.

*Charlie Parker and the Stars of Modern Jazz at Carnegie Hall, Christmas 1949. One Bud track, but it's a good one--All God's Children Got Rhythm w/Curley Russell and Max Roach. Lots of great bop-progressive bop combos on this one, and Bird's quintet (w/Red Rodney) wraps it up by blazing through five Savoy-era numbers.

*All of that Parker-Blakey-Powell-Fats Birdland material came out on a double-LP in the late 1970s called ONE NIGHT IN BIRDLAND, reissued on CD in the early 1990s (iirc) in Japan...it floated around U.S. stores for awhile. That music has come out on a # of Parker compilations over the years.

*Charlie Parker and the All-Stars w/Diz, Bud, Tommy Potter and Roy Haynes, from Birdland, March 31, 1951. Another really good set--they do "Blue 'n Boogie," "Anthropology," "Round Midnight," and "Night in Tunisia." This and the 1950 Birdland performances were bunched together on a 4-CD set called COMPLETE BIRD AT BIRDLAND 1950-51 a few years ago.

*All of the Powell live-at-Birdland airshots from 1953... they came out on 4 ESP discs, also on 2 discs from another label (Fresh Sound?).

Great topic--I had a similar obsession myself a few years back and tried to track down as many Powell live recordings as I could from the same period. It would be nice if there was a good Savoy overview of his key sideman dates, but probably won't happen any time soon (or ever).

On Xanadu, there is a CD called Shaw Nuff, which has three tracks from 1945: Reverse the Charges, The Man I Love and September in the Rain, featuring Freddy Webster (tp), Frank Socolow (ts), Bud, Leonard Gaskin (b) and Irv Krueger (ds).

Regarding the Bebop Boys, you may able to somewhere find Blues in Bebop under Kenny Dorham's name issued by Savoy a few years ago, which features eight songs (plus two alternate takes) from 1946.

Edited November 21, 2009 by Brad

[AllenLowe]

absolutely, I agree, ballad playing is the last thing - it's interesting because when I play with musicians they always want to double up, which drives me nuts.

I think Bud took a year or two to break out of a Tatum thing and into something more personal.

[Teasing the Korean]

it's interesting because when I play with musicians they always want to double up, which drives me nuts.

THANK YOU!

I just played a gig with (really good) tenor player I never played with before. The first ballad on the gig came, and we kept it SLOW. At the end of the tune, he said, "Wow! A piano player who's not afraid to play a ballad!"

The double time thing on ballads drives me crazy, it's such a cliche, like when they use a sax image for the letter "J" in "jazz" on the sign.