Amazing Bud Powell Vol.2

Following the first brilliant flowerings of his talent from 1945-51, Bud Powell's recording sessions always hung in a delicate balance between his awe-inspiring creativity and his fragile psyche. This trio date from August 14, 1953--following a year-and-a-half stay in an institution--has always stood out as one of the best of his later recordings, an essential document of modern jazz piano. Accompanied by bassist George Duvivier and drummer Art Taylor, his working trio, Powell is in a comfortable setting and exceptional form, transforming a series of standards and bop tunes into profoundly personal creations alive with dynamic contrasts. Both "Autumn in New York" and "Sure Thing" assume classical dimensions in Powell's reworkings, from the fantasia that introduces the first to the quirky, near-baroque dimension that the latter assumes. "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" takes on somber depths, while "I Want to Be Happy" is pure, kinetic invention. The bop blues of "Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas" emphasizes the empathy and relaxed flow of the trio, while Powell's "Glass Enclosure"--inspired by the apartment where the pianist was held virtual prisoner by his manager--is a tense complex of shifting moods. The new Rudy Van Gelder edition adds immeasurably to the experience of this music. The remastering restores the expressive life of Powell's piano sound, and there are five previously unreleased tracks, a version of "I've Got You Under My Skin" and four unreleased alternate takes, each revealing another aspect of Powell's genius. --Stuart Broomer