| Powell, Bud / Birdland 1953 |
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| Album: | Birdland 1953 | Collection: | Jazz | |
| Artist: | Powell, Bud | Added: | 05/2014 | |
| Label: | Esp-Disk' | |||
| A-File Activity |
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| Add Date: | 2014-05-09 | Pull Date: | 2014-07-11 | Charts: | Jazz |
| Week Ending: | 22 Jun | 15 Jun | 8 Jun | 1 Jun | 25 May | 18 May | 11 May |
| Airplays: | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
Recent Airplay
| 1. | Oct 11, 2019: | Traditions Autumn In New York | 4. | Aug 16, 2015: | Mix Tape: Jazz (maybe some Elvis) Ornithology | |
| 2. | Jul 20, 2018: | Traditions I've Got You Under My Skin | 5. | Jun 20, 2014: | No Cover, No Minimum: Farewell, Horace Silver Tea For Two | |
| 3. | Aug 01, 2016: | Everything A To Z Wk52 Bean And The Boys, It Could Happen To You, Tea For Two, Lullaby Of Birdland / Announcer Intro | 6. | Jun 19, 2014: | Rebop How High The Moon |
| Album Review |
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| Fo Reviewed 2014-05-06 | ||
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BUD POWELL: Birdland 1953 ESP-Disk', 2014 BEBOP – One of the titans of the bebop revolution, a master especially of explosive, high-tempo melodic improvisation, pianist Bud Powell was also a deeply troubled man. Long stretches of his peak years were spent in mental institutions, and he also battled alcoholism. But when he was free and clear, there was no touching him. So it was in 1953, when, after a year in the hospital and under the strict care of his manager, Powell was booked for a 20-week trio engagement at bop nightclub Birdland. The recordings on these 3 CDs were made at the club on 13 different nights, and capture Powell with other giants of the era: Roy Haynes, Charles Mingus, Oscar Pettiford and Art Taylor are his principal sidemen, and there are also a few guest appearances by bebop gods Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie on Disc 2 (along with percussionist Candido, a star of Afro-Cuban jazz). The audio quality is pretty rough in spots, but generally clean compared to many other live club recordings of the era (and compared to earlier releases of some of this same material on other labels). There are also some tunes repeated multiple times; I’ve tried to pick the best versions. All 3 hours are worth listening to. Fo’s Picks: Disc I: 2, 5, 9, 12, 15 / Disc II: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 14 / Disc III: 1, 3, 4, 6, 16 DISC ONE 1. 0:50 – theme/radio announcer 2. 5:38 – hard-swinging uptempo 3. 3:34 – pounding piano on ballad 4. 6:59 – perky bounce w/ bass solo 5. 2:57 – bright, lilting, happy piano 6. 3:32 – quick, jabbing piano 7. 4:16 – relaxed ballad, nice piano 8. 2:44 – catchy; cute latin rhythm 9. 2:59 – brisk, snappy bop classic 10. 0:47 – theme/radio announcer 11. 1:46 – theme/radio announcer 12. 2:51 – bright, happily swinging 13. 2:43 – #8 but without the beat 14. 4:37 – #7 but softer, more bass 15. 3:00 – upbeat bouncy medley 16. 2:05 – upbeat, skipping piano DISC TWO 1. 3:12 – brisk and joyful 2. 2:35 – catchy; cute latin rhythm 3. 2:05 – dances, flowing, but odd 4. 3:36 – firm, forceful ballad 5. 2:59 – happy latin-bop riffing 6. 4:21 – quiet & fast w/drum solo 7. 1:16 – brisk, swinging theme 8. 6:28 – #5 + Diz on trumpet 9. 3:25 – #6 + Diz, muddy sound 10. 5:31 – Bird blows on upbeat jam 11. 2:38 – #2, but drums are quieter 12. 2:13 – impressionistic ballad 13. 4:24 – #1, at a faster tempo 14. 5:01 – all out w/Bird & Candido 15. 7:04 – twisty w/Bird & Candido 16. 3:04 – fast piano, drums thump 17. 2:59 – heavy, off-kilter riffing DISC THREE 1. 4:08 – strong upbeat bounce 2. 4:52 – same tune, more relaxed 3. 4:24 – breezy latin-tinged romp 4. 2:58 – upbeat, sweeping swinger 5. 2:58 – #1 again, brisk & swingin’ 6. 2:25 – short but serious work 7. 2:46 – odd intro, then swings 8. 3:20 – #4 again, scratchy audio 9. 2:42 – #1 again, more relaxed 10. 3:31 – #3 again, a bit flat-footed 11. 2:40 – lively, weaves thru beat 12. 3:55 – #4 again, extra bouncy 13. 3:06 – #1 again, solid version 14. 4:15 – relaxed but firm ballad 15. 4:03 – #3 again, tough/vigorous 16. 2:44 – #11 with better balance [ Fo ] - 6 May 2014 | ||
| Track Listing |
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