Bud Powell on SteepleChase? Any other post '53 Powell recs?

[Gheorghe]

From BN, great love for the Amazing Bud Powell Series 1,2,3 but I don't like The Scene Changes (except maybe the first track).

and how about Vol. 4 (Time Waits) ? Do you like it more that "The Scene Changes".

I wouldn´t say I don´t like "The Scene", but it´s a strange album, it sounds much more like a Sonny Clark thing than Bud

[Clunky]

I've not listened to Vols 3 or 4 in years. I recall thinking them pretty messy. I played both RCA albums last night with mixed reaction.

[aparxa]

I borrowed the fourth volume years ago from the Grenoble library but I haven't bought the CD yet. I sure remember how great Philly Joe Jones was. About the compositions from this session and Bud's form (you can find this term in every liner notes featuring Bud...), I really like John's Abbey which also appears on the BN Best of. What are your general thoughts on the Vol. 4 ?

[Gheorghe]

@aparxa: I think, Vol. 4 is a really enjoyable album. Philly Joe Jones is great on "Buster Rides again" and I like the quite "Monkish" touch of Bud on the whole album. And "Time Waits" is a beautiful ballad. "John´s Abbey" and "Monopoly" became Powell-Standards during the following years in Europe and back at Birdland 1964. And "Dry Soul" is much more interesting than "Some Soul" from the Vol. 3 "Bud!".

[Peter Friedman]

Just listened to disc 1 from the 3 CD set - Bud Powell Trio - Budism on Steeplechase.

While it is clear that Bud's playing is not his very best, I still find it worth hearing.

Yes he seems tentative at times and stumbles a bit, but not enough to make me

want to stop listening.

There are certain qualities in Bud's choice of notes and his phrasing that make it

readily identifiable as Bud Powell on piano. And that special feeling in the music

that come from the essence of Bud the jazz giant makes this a session from which

I derive pleasure.

[Gheorghe]

Just listened to disc 1 from the 3 CD set - Bud Powell Trio - Budism on Steeplechase.

While it is clear that Bud's playing is not his very best, I still find it worth hearing.

Yes he seems tentative at times and stumbles a bit, but not enough to make me

want to stop listening.

There are certain qualities in Bud's choice of notes and his phrasing that make it

readily identifiable as Bud Powell on piano. And that special feeling in the music

that come from the essence of Bud the jazz giant makes this a session from which

I derive pleasure.

glad you like it.

The best is still to come: cd 2, the wonderful rare ballad "If you where here", a beauty, really a heartfelt ballad. Bud didn´t play it often. And I hadn´t heard other people play it, until I discovered a Tommy Dorsey recording of it with vocals.

Great the two versions of "The Best Thing for You", really Bud at it´s best, fast and "eating up" those tricky changes. And after the first version he says "same again" and plays another great version of the tune.

And cd 3 is very very good. I´d say cd 1 is the worst, cd 2 still starts with a "tired" Bud on a quite lazy version of "Moose the Mooche", but then things improve. It was recorded on different dates.

[xybert]

Great to see the discussion continuing here. I've ordered a few of the recommended discs along with Volume 1 & 2 of the Steeplechases, waiting for them to arrive and FWIW i'll report back once i've had a decent listen. Still digging just about any Bud that i'm hearing. It's frankly a wonderful place to be in, but at the same time i'm constantly questioning myself as to why i enjoy the less well regarded stuff so much.

[mjzee]

Great to see the discussion continuing here. I've ordered a few of the recommended discs along with Volume 1 & 2 of the Steeplechases, waiting for them to arrive and FWIW i'll report back once i've had a decent listen. Still digging just about any Bud that i'm hearing. It's frankly a wonderful place to be in, but at the same time i'm constantly questioning myself as to why i enjoy the less well regarded stuff so much.

Because you love him. Here's another vote for Live at Lausanne 1962; he's backed by a lively local bassist and drummer that pushes him.

[xybert]

At the Golden Circle Volume 1 & 2 have been getting a lot of spins at my place. Definitely some weird moments (the head to 'There'll Never Be Another You' on Volume 1 for example) but overall, yeah, glad to have these. Have ordered Volume 3.

Just some minor 'product' issues to note for the sake of anyone else that's ever looking this stuff up and wants to compare notes: minor digital glitches and audio issues pop up through out both volumes, not to deal breaker levels for me but yeah. As they sound like they're digital, i.e. not on the original tape, it's just slightly frustrating as it's obviously avoidable with a bit of QC either when the original transfer to digital was done or when the CDs were manufactured. Also not sure why the track list on Volume 1 (both the order and some of the actual songs) doesn't seem to match what's listed on the back of the CD. Anyway, doesn't bother me too much but along with the minor audio issues it just adds to the feeling that not much care has gone in, and SteepleChases aren't cheap, either. Note: audio issues might just be my copies, don't know for sure.

EDIT: I thought i'd just edit this update in to this post rather than bumping the thread. I've ended up ordering Volume 4 and 5 as well as the Budism set. I've kind of been immersed in Bud's later recordings, but just recently i was stuck somewhere and i was listening to Parisian Thoroughfare off the Amazing Bud Powell pretty much on a loop as it's a track that i have on my phone. And yeah, there is indisputably just line after line of brilliance in his playing on that track that when you compare it to say Swedish Pastry off the Golden Circle Volume 3 (which was an album that i was listening to a lot having just received it at the time) there's just no comparison. But even though the Golden Circle recordings don't quite have the brilliance of the earlier stuff and are downright rough in places, i still really, really enjoy listening to them. YMMV.

Edited May 21, 2015 by xybert

[xybert]

I've really been enjoying Budism. Definitely worth getting if you dig the other SteepleChase releases.

Just a word of warning for any prospective buyers: Amazon UK are selling 'new' copies that are in second hand condition for $33 GBP+. Figured it was worth it to get a new copy, also shelled out to have it couriered to keep the precious new item in good condition. Turned up unsealed (not the end of the world, not all UK stuff is sealed) with a cracked case, a wavy inlay card most likely caused by moisture, rusty staples in the booklet (like, they're more rust than staple), discs that were soiled both in the playing surface and label side, and even a nice long hair on the playing surface of one disc. Thankfully i was able to clean up the discs and they both play and were ripped without issue. I can live with having a second hand copy, but i would have found a cheaper one in better condition and definitely wouldn't have paid a premium to have it couriered.

Here's a link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000027UQB/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=

Sorry for the apparent rant, but i figure it's worth it if someone else is looking at buying and by some chance is doing some googling. I've given feedback to Amazon UK and tried to post a warning as a review but it wasn't allowed. Could try and do a more sneaky/less blatant one but i can't be arsed.

[king ubu]

I've really been enjoying Budism. Definitely worth getting if you dig the other SteepleChase releases.

Just a word of warning for any prospective buyers: Amazon UK are selling 'new' copies that are in second hand condition for $33 GBP+. Figured it was worth it to get a new copy, also shelled out to have it couriered to keep the precious new item in good condition. Turned up unsealed (not the end of the world, not all UK stuff is sealed) with a cracked case, a wavy inlay card most likely caused by moisture, rusty staples in the booklet (like, they're more rust than staple), discs that were soiled both in the playing surface and label side, and even a nice long hair on the playing surface of one disc. Thankfully i was able to clean up the discs and they both play and were ripped without issue. I can live with having a second hand copy, but i would have found a cheaper one in better condition and definitely wouldn't have paid a premium to have it couriered.

Here's a link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000027UQB/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=

Sorry for the apparent rant, but i figure it's worth it if someone else is looking at buying and by some chance is doing some googling. I've given feedback to Amazon UK and tried to post a warning as a review but it wasn't allowed. Could try and do a more sneaky/less blatant one but i can't be arsed.

Got such a copy myself from amazon.it two years ago (for 16 something €) ... no cracks, no mud, but wavy booklet with rusty staples, too. A friend of mine who ordered one there, too, got one in good condition (that is good, not american "good").

[xybert]

I've really been enjoying Budism. Definitely worth getting if you dig the other SteepleChase releases.

Just a word of warning for any prospective buyers: Amazon UK are selling 'new' copies that are in second hand condition for $33 GBP+. Figured it was worth it to get a new copy, also shelled out to have it couriered to keep the precious new item in good condition. Turned up unsealed (not the end of the world, not all UK stuff is sealed) with a cracked case, a wavy inlay card most likely caused by moisture, rusty staples in the booklet (like, they're more rust than staple), discs that were soiled both in the playing surface and label side, and even a nice long hair on the playing surface of one disc. Thankfully i was able to clean up the discs and they both play and were ripped without issue. I can live with having a second hand copy, but i would have found a cheaper one in better condition and definitely wouldn't have paid a premium to have it couriered.

Here's a link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000027UQB/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=

Sorry for the apparent rant, but i figure it's worth it if someone else is looking at buying and by some chance is doing some googling. I've given feedback to Amazon UK and tried to post a warning as a review but it wasn't allowed. Could try and do a more sneaky/less blatant one but i can't be arsed.

Got such a copy myself from amazon.it two years ago (for 16 something €) ... no cracks, no mud, but wavy booklet with rusty staples, too. A friend of mine who ordered one there, too, got one in good condition (that is good, not american "good").

Yeah, sounds like the wavy/rusty thing might have been an issue at the suppliers end. I'll survive, it just bugs me that i could have gotten it cheaper second hand and i threw all that cash away to have it couriered from the UK so that it would arrive in good condition. At least the hair wasn't curly, i guess.

[paul secor]

Bud from 1959 with Pierre Michelot and Kenny Clarke

 

[John L]

Very nice!  Thanks, Paul

[xybert]

This may have been posted in a separate reissue thread, but among other Steeplechase reissues all five volumes of the Golden Circle recordings are being reissued in Japan in April. Not sure if they're SHM-CDs but based on the price range i believe that they will be.

I've been revisiting these recordings yet again and i really enjoy them. As mentioned above, they're riddled with what appear to be digital glitches (well, my discs were anyway), and it'll be interesting to see whether these new reissues clean them up.

 

[Gheorghe]

oh I love those Steeplechase classics. They was the music we heard in our youth, Dex, Jackie Mc Lean, Griff, Bud, we were on vacation and had rented a small house near some Mountainlakes and rivers and during the day we might go troutfishing, and the nights was with some beer some booze, and "live jazz" from the Montmatre, the Golden Circle. Man, we brought those giants in our living room.

[xybert]

16 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

oh I love those Steeplechase classics. They was the music we heard in our youth, Dex, Jackie Mc Lean, Griff, Bud, we were on vacation and had rented a small house near some Mountainlakes and rivers and during the day we might go troutfishing, and the nights was with some beer some booze, and "live jazz" from the Montmatre, the Golden Circle. Man, we brought those giants in our living room.