Bud Powell: The Scene Changes – 1958

The legend of the tortured, tragic jazz genius exists because of people like Charlie Parker and Bud Powell. Both are bebop legends, among the greatest of the greats, founding fathers of the genre. Both were brought down by drugs and mental illness – Parker at 34, Powell at 41.

Bird and Bud had a lot in common. Not only were they creators of the new sound of bebop, both were astonishingly fast players – Parker on sax, Powell on piano. Powell took the sheer speed of Art Tatum and added quirks and flourishes. But more than that, Powell wrote many of his own tunes, and they are mostly stunning and original.

Also like Parker, Powell created most of his best music early on, much of it for Blue Note in the 1950s. Two of his very best albums are the first pair for Blue Note, The Amazing Bud Powell, Volumes 1 and 2, recorded in 1949 to 1953. These are breathtakingly original tunes, many played at breakneck speed, sometimes in trios, sometimes quartets. They are among the best bebop of all time.

So what to make of Powell’s later records? The eccentric pianist grew crazier and crazier as he aged, literally, and many fans believe his music suffered for it. The Scene Changes is Powell’s last date for Blue Note, and while it’s not quite up to the level of Volumes 1 and 2, by almost anyone else’s standards, it’s awfully good.

At his best, Powell was the kind of pianist who made you want to stand up and yell, “Go, man, go!” There are flashes of that on The Scene Changes, but not as many as on earlier albums. “Crossin’ the Channel” is the standout, a breathless barn burner that harkens back to the early hyper-speedy days of bebop.

Another highlight is “Comin’ Up,” an eight-minute excursion with an odd Latin-ish rhythm. It starts with a catchy six-note theme, repeated over and over by the bass and drums. Powell explores the myriad possibilities, sometimes in rhythmic patterns, sometimes in heavy block chords, sometimes with vaguely Latin melodies. It’s a lot of fun.

Bud Powell was unquestionably a major talent. Sadly he was also unquestionably mad. After The Scene Changes, he went to France, stayed for several years, returned to the U.S. and died. His later records aren’t his best, but they all show flashes of brilliant exuberance. They’re all worth a good listen, and if you’re a piano fan, they’re worth owning.

A side note: Check out the adorable album cover, featuring Powell at the keyboard with his young son looking over his shoulder. Aww!

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Availability: Easy to find

Cost: $7 used

Walter Davis Jr.: Davis Cup – 1959

Every now and then, I hear a musician in a band and I think, “Damn, can we get rid of the other guys and just hear this one by himself?” That was my immediate thought after listening to Davis Cup, a hard bop cooker from 1959.

Walter Davis Jr. is a pianist with a slim discography. He recorded exactly one Blue Note CD as a leader – this one, his debut – and appeared mostly as a sideman on other people’s records. The mystery is why he didn’t achieve more with his considerable talents.

On Davis Cup, he sounds an awful lot like Thelonious Monk. No surprise there, since Monk was making some remarkable, groundbreaking stuff in the late 1950s. Lots of pianists wanted to be Monk in 1959, and it’s no slam on Davis that he clearly shows the influences.

Here we have Davis on piano surrounded by a pretty routine Blue Note bunch: trumpeter Donald Byrd, saxman Jackie McLean, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Art Taylor on drums. It’s a typical Blue Note affair, with five bluesy bop romps and a sweet ballad that sounds hauntingly like Monk’s “Reflections” or “Pannonica.”

While I love 1950s Blue Note hard bop, this one comes off as rather ordinary and predictable. What is not predictable is Davis himself. He wrote all six songs, and that by itself is intriguing. More tantalizing are his brief solos. I wish there were more. The horns are nice, and Byrd seems particularly inspired here, but it’s the piano that makes me yearn for more.

My personal favorite is “Rhumba Nhumba,” partly because of its punny title, but mainly because of its catchy tune. Honorable mention: “Minor Mind,” a toe-tapper with nice piano work and soulful playing from the horns.

Davis played for a short time with the Jazz Messengers, in two separate stints, and recorded a few albums for obscure European labels. Based on this debut, I’d like to hear them. Unfortunately, Davis seems to be one of those 1950s stories of the creative guy with chops who was simply lost amid a sea of similar musicians. A pity.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

Availability: Easy to get

Cost: Weirdly expensive new on Amazon — $21 – but $7 used and just $5.34 for the MP3 files