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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating, September 4, 2002
This review is from: Complete Bud Powell on Verve (Audio CD)
Everybody knows how good the early Verve stuff is ... which makes up about 30% of this set. Everybody has heard that the later Verve stuff is junk. So, having owned the early stuff on individual CDs, I was a little reluctant to pick this up. Big mistake. The later years, ranging from 1954 to 1956 include a wealth of very, very good material. Yes, there is some junk, but it can be passed over easily enough. Using the track by track analysis by Barry Harris (in the booklet) and Carl Smith's book on Bud, I was able to cull out a couple hours worth of wonderful material and burn it onto my own CDs. My take-away is this. The early Verve is some of the best jazz piano on record. Maybe the best of the post-war era. But ... when you listen to stronger "later Verve" stuff, it stands up with the best of anything from say Horace Silver, Sonny Clark or Wynton Kelly. Frankly it is often better, because the genius never left Bud. The level of invention is still way high. Highly recommended.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bud's BEST work, February 1, 2002
This review is from: Complete Bud Powell on Verve (Audio CD)
I want to dispel an illusions here. This set does NOT reflect Bud's decline, but Bud's GROWTH as an artist. Too many people have bought sheepishly into the common criticisms and have closed their ears. This box set is far superior to the Blue Note set, not a "supplement" (see above review). The first disc has all the dazzlingy brillaint early technique of his early carrear (though quite the bold experimentation of the first blue note disc). But in the 3rd 4rth discs, his technique, still in prime, is used les towards dazzling speed and more towards variety and expression. he is clearly listening to and influenced by Errol Garner and G. Shearing and Monk in a fascinating way here that one doesn't get at all in the blue note set. He is searching and experimental but always expressive and exciting. Listen to the abstract alt takes of i get a kick out of you or the lyricism of tenderly. He doesn;t reach these hights on ANY of the mid 50s Blue Note stuff. And yet people say he is stumbling!! listen again. ONly the very last set has him poorly articulating ("slurring") his phrases. BUt even here, with ray brown backing him, he has flashes of brilliance. This, along with O COleman's Beauty is a Rare thing, may be the best musical buy i ever made. I can only say: listen openly and judge for your self
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sublime, July 10, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Complete Bud Powell on Verve (Audio CD)
Bud Powell was magnificent. A giant whose contribution to music matched and in many ways exceeded that of Charlie Parker. Yet, he is underappreciated to this day. This is a collection to savor, and essential for anyone wishing to understand not only the music but the man. Lovingly packaged with interviews with people who knew and played with Powell, and track by track analysis by Barry Harris and Michael Weiss, this set has all of the classic early Verves, and later recordings that chronicle Powell's decline. Even there, you will find beautiful work, such as his unique and haunting treatment of "It Never Entered My Mind".
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