Bud Powell

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Biography

Earl Rudolph “Bud” Powell (September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966) was one of the most influential pianists in the history of . Along with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie he was instrumental in the development of , and his virtuosity as a pianist led many to call him “the Charlie Parker of the ”.

Powell was perhaps the first pianist to vocalize on the piano, meaning that he transfered his vocalized improvisations directly through his hands to the instrument. This gave his music a deep connection to time, which is an artifact of the human voice. Previously, horn players were more likely to express their improvisations vocally, as the mouth and breath are directly tied to the performance of horn players.

Powell suffered from Bi-Polar Disorder, and in November 1947, Powell was admitted to Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, where he stayed for more than a year, receiving electroconvulsive therapy which caused severe memory loss. The young Jackie McLean and Sonny Rollins became friendly with Powell on his release from the hospital, and Powell recommended McLean to Miles Davis. However, Powell suffered from mental illness throughout his life, and had a reputation for his strange behaviour. In fact his problems, exacerbated by a beating from the police in 1945 for being disorderly, could all be attributed to being a manic depressive, although his illness was almost certainly a key driver of his immense creative talent.
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  • Fullmettall

    good

    11 Nov 2012 Reply

  • GiaNXGX

    Breathtaking

    8 Oct 2012 Reply

  • Domin_vlc

    http://www.facebook.com/WaltzMeBlues http://waltzmeblues.tumblr.com/

    27 Sep 2012 Reply

  • dundee12

    So. Fucking. Good.

    25 Sep 2012 Reply

  • MrJazzyMan

    I can't get enough of his music. I want more!

    26 Jun 2012 Reply

  • Cicutacurare

    Increíble!!

    15 Apr 2012 Reply

  • Druid66

    A wizard on the keys.

    9 Jul 2011 Reply

  • grahamr93

    the greatest

    9 May 2011 Reply

  • iDearBach

    moaning, damn. better than sex

    23 Apr 2011 Reply

  • progtrance7

    someone

    13 Apr 2011 Reply

  • robotbot

    impossible is nothing. he proved it

    15 Mar 2011 Reply

  • Theeboon

    Impossible.

    4 Mar 2011 Reply

  • YeolEumSon

    he plays the piano like a saxophone great!!!! Thats Music! in all senses!

    4 Dec 2010 Reply

  • chillhood

    exquisiteness

    12 Nov 2010 Reply

  • Cousin_Eddy

    Brilliant!

    10 May 2010 Reply

  • wingsoftoast

    I love Bud - but Monk sounds more like today.

    24 Mar 2010 Reply

  • Sidewinder707

    I'm influenced, amazed and inspired by so many artists whose contributions were MONUMENTAL to the jazz idiom. However, if I was only allowed to name one person who, directly and indirectly, contributed the most to advancing the jazz idiom, (inc. modernizing jazz piano), I pick Bud Powell. Without him, would we have had Bill Evans? McCoy Tyner? Chick Corea? Keith Jarrett, to name a few? Please correct me if I'm wrong. I believe I'm fairly learned in this area, but by no means am I a scholar or historian. To the best of my knowledge, he was one of the first, if not the first pianist to conceptualize "King Parker's" blazing tempos, exquisitely executed melodies and contrafacts using a linear approach. It's likely this is why he was dubbed "Charlie Parker of the piano." Bud contributed SO much to the jazz idiom and to the advancement of contemporary piano performance in his short tragic life! It's an OUTRAGE his genius was never recognized much less appreciated while he was alive!

    10 Mar 2010 Reply

  • ccex

    Why does everyone now play Monk tunes while so many Bud Powell compositions remain obscure? The two composer/pianists (along with Elmo Hope) were very close lifelong friends . Bud's heyday found Monk in obscurity, Monk was granted jazz sainthood postumously, with his work now required listening in any high school/college jazz course and necesary to know at any jam session. But why dont Bud's gems like the ballads "I'll Keep Loving You" and "Time Waits" get the respect of "Ruby My Dear" or "Ask Me Now"? I've made many musician friends who know Monk when I introduce them to obscure Bud Powell tunes like "Buster Rides Again", "I'm In the Mood for a Classic", or "Jump City" for the first time.

    10 Feb 2010 Reply

  • THXmille138

    sto figlio di puttana sa suonare davvero

    5 Feb 2010 Reply

  • Philistine88

    simply the greatest jazz pianist the world has ever known. An absolute tragedy that he hasn't gotten the limelight. He deserves the same recognition as Monk.

    1 Feb 2010 Reply
    • All 40 shouts

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