Birdland 1953

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First off, this set of music (from the Boris Rose collection) was taken from tapes recorded at Birdland, not from "air checks" off the radio. And these tracks have been remastered and pitch corrected so they sound both better and accurate. There's another similar set (2 CDs) on the Fresh Sounds label which were taken from radio broadcasts and don't include all the music heard here. So if you're coming to this music for the first time, this ESP Disk set is the one to have. Overall this music is somewhere between 3 and 4 "stars" depending on the particular tune and/or performance. A word of caution. While the sound has been improved, there are still sonic anomalies throughout these performances--think fairly good bootleg quality. The equipment that was installed in the club was not professional quality. Plus, you can hear the club's patrons in the background. But Powell's piano is front and center and fairly clean sounding, if lacking in some dynamics. And the editing of applause/what have you between tunes is swift and sure--Powell finishes a tune and the sound is gone abruptly until the next song begins soon after. But Powell fans will hear through any recording problems and marvel at some of these performances.Even though these sides were recorded during one of Powell's low points when he was dealing with mental problems, his playing by and large is mostly inventive and his approach (when called for) is fiery. These tunes were recorded in 1953 and span a number of weeks of a long engagement at Birdland. This is during the same year when he recorded the famous Massey Hall concert, and show Powell mostly full of energy and attacking the music with some vigor. Of course not all these tacks are of equal worth--some show Powell's playing lacking his well known style, inventiveness, and feel. He was engaged to play at Birdland for twenty weeks, which enabled Powell to reclaim much of his earlier technique, which can be heard here. But over so long a period not every performance would be near the top of his skills. There's several Powell originals here including "Dance of the Infidels", "Un Poco Loco", and "Parisian Thoroughfare" which show Powell playing well. Plus there's a chance to hear Powell's left hand play some boogie woogie on "How High The Moon".Also included in this new compilation are tracks with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Candido. Gillespie with the trio appears on "Woody'n You" and "Salt Peanuts". Parker and the trio play on "Dance of the Infidels". Candido and Parker with the trio play on "Moose The Mooche" and "Cheryl".Personnel in the various trios include Charles Mingus, Oscar Pettiford, Franklin Skeetes, Curly Russell, and George Duvivier-bass. Art Taylor, Roy Haynes, and Sammy Payne-drums. The rhythm sections are mostly stellar working with Powell, and provide a good backdrop for Powell to roam through a tune at will.For fans of Powell (like me) this newly mastered/speed corrected set is an exciting find. Plus having music taken form onsite tapes means the sound is a bit better than music taken off the radio. 1953 was a trying year for Powell-something Mingus talked about in no uncertain terms--but the best of this music is pure Powell, sometimes close to his "Amazing Bud Powell" moniker. This is another piece of the Powell puzzle that's worth hearing. Check it out.And if you want the definitive book on Powell, his music, and that period in jazz, you need to read "WAIL" by Peter Pullman, published by Bop Changes 2012. There's also an ebook for those fans who like that sort of thing. Me, I wanted a "hard" paper and ink copy for my library, so I emailed Pullman (look up the book title and/or the author for info on how to obtain a copy), and ordered a copy which he kindly autographed for me. There's 384 pages of text plus a great Appendix. Pullman has done years of research for this fine, deep look into Powell's life and music. You'll get a better perspective of Powell through the words from the many musicians included in the book who knew and worked with Powell. Pullman's attention to detail makes this book one of the best looks at any musician and his music I've read. Reading this book you'll come away with much insight and even more of an appreciation for Powell's music. It's sadly not available in book stores. This is the type of book that I hope a larger book seller would pick up for wider distribution. Get it while you can.

Recording quality is a little off, but expected under the circumstances and the time period. Well worth purchasing! Get it.

Don't get the Fresh Sound issue of the same music. Here the sound is far superior. I hate to say this because the Fresh Sound label has given me huge pleasure but this time their album is clearly second best.

Décevant ! Ce triple-CD est arrivé avec un boîtier fendu.Je vais voir s'il y a moyen de trouver un boîtier de remplacement dans le commerce.Mais rien n'est moins sûr. Pfft!CB

１９５３年に復帰後の好調なパウエルの演奏を聴くことができる。同じ年でも「パウエルの芸術」やamazingの演奏は４０年代に比べやはり衰えを感じるが、このＣＤのライブ演奏は全盛期に肉薄する。凄みという点では一歩ゆずるとしても、リラックスして楽しんで弾いていると思う。「二人でお茶を」などはストライドを挿入したりして、演奏の幅ではむしろ広がりを見せていると思う。

従来出ているfresh soundのエアチェック音源と比較すると音質の向上は明白です。音の実体感はより奏者に近づいて聴いているといった感覚ですが、おそらくディスクレコーダで録音されものたらしく、スクラッチノイズや33ｒｐｍの間隔で聞こえる傷ノイズが目立つものです。1953年というのは、テープレコーダが出始めた時代ですが、バードランドの録音機材は未だ更新されていなかったのでしょうか。なにはともあれ、1953年と言う、Powellの輝きが残っていた時代に録音された貴重なライブ演奏の音質向上は無条件で歓迎したいものです。