The technique is dazzling, the harmony sublime, it swings so effortlessly, it is a blockbuster that set down the benchmark for every pianist who followed.
I have no recollection of how I came upon this album suffice to say that it was a long time ago*. Maybe I heard a track on the radio - possibly AFN or the Voice of America where, back then, all the good jazz seemed to emulate from even if you had to keep shifting the aerial around to combat the static and interference from nearby stations. I think a lot of it was caused by Russian "jamming" - not in the sense that we know the word - as the VOA was very much a propaganda station reaching out to the Eastern Bloc using jazz as a weapon!
Lance
*All is revealed! the inner sleeve is stamped "The Handy Shop, Walpole St., South Shields". This was a small shop just off Frederick St. in the Laygate area of the town. A shop where I bought many a second hand 78, 45, 33 rpm record.
3 comments :
Lance you bring back many happy memories of my jazz listening .Like voice of America with Willis Conover was a great source of learning about jazz legends.In particular I liked the fact that he would play the full LP on his one hour show.
I concur with your fact that it was a USA propaganda broadcast, with variable reception to say it the least.
Was it on 11pm every night, I seem to recall.
Happy days!!
Ron
Yes it was a late night thing but, that is for another day. This post is about the magic of Bud Powell.
Apologies Lance, I did mean to comment on Bud Powell. I regard him as the finest bebop pianist ever and I love listening to the blue note recording called the amazing bud Powell . It is truly amazing. Your review suggests the tracks on the vogue LP are definitive recordings and I will endeavour to hear it..
Intrigued to read review of your pending 10th album
Ron
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