Glass Enclosure: The Life of Bud Powell (Bayou Jazz Lives) [Paperback]

Alan Groves (Author), Alyn Shipton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2001 | Series: Bayou Jazz Lives

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Groves's text, edited and supplemented with material by Shipton, traces the highs and lows of Powell's career in commendably full detail. . . . There are many reasons to welcome this volume. Powell deserves to be represented in any library of jazz greats, and his story makes salutary and sometimes shocking reading."--Brian Priestley, Jazz the Magazine

"This fascinating (at times hideously so) biography is told with great sympathy but necessary toughness, and even when prompting disagreement it is stimulating and authoritative. Warmly recommended to readers of all tastes and interests."-- Richard Palmer, Jazz Journal

"A slim but informative volume on Powell's life and career."--Francis David, Atlantic Monthly

About the Author

Alan Groves is the author of Bud Powell. Alyn Shipton presents jazz radio programs for the BBC and is a critic for The Times in London. He is the author of several books on music, as well as a music publisher and editor. He divides his time between Oxford and the French countryside. In 2010, he was voted UK Jazz Broadcaster of the Year.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (March 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826447465
• ISBN-13: 978-0826447463
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,009,511 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reading For all Bud Powell Fans, November 18, 2001

By 

Robert D. Glover Jr. "robert-g-near-nyc" (Linden, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Glass Enclosure: The Life of Bud Powell (Bayou Jazz Lives) (Paperback)

This short work should be read in conjunction or shortly after reading "Dance of the Infidels : A Portrait of Bud Powell -- by Francis Paudras". "The Glass Enclosure" frequently refers to Francis Paudras, as any biography of Bud Powell must. It contains many pictures of Bud that help to understand him better, including several pictures of his common law wife "Buttercup". The book assumes the reader is familiar with the general history of bebop and figures such as Miles Davis, Diz, Monk, Mingus, Clifford Brown, etc. It was originally published in 1993, so this is a reprint. The book can be read in a couple of days. The research done for the book is good in terms of people who were interviewed. Bud was a genius but a very troubled on. This books explains, sometimes to the point of being painful to read, the details of Bud's mental troubles. It leaves one feeling sad but full of wonder at Bud's extraordinary musical powers and the recorded legacy he leaves for current and future generations. These two books are probably the sum total of all that will ever be known about Bud Powell. Combined with his recordings, especially from the period 1947 to 1953, it is hopefully enough to satisfy the generations as yet unborn who will certainly revere Bud as a great master.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but Incomplete, April 13, 2007

By 

S. A. Edwards-Silva (La Habra Heights, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Glass Enclosure: The Life of Bud Powell (Bayou Jazz Lives) (Paperback)

The Glass Enclosure offers a brief biographical sketch of Bud Powell as it traces the artistic triumphs of his early career that turned to tragedy as mental illness, alcoholism, and mistreatment by his handlers all diminished his musical gifts. The book balances some of the claims made by Francis Paudras in Dance of the Infidels and fills in some of the details of Powell's pre-Paris years that Paudras omits. Still, The Glass Enclosure reads like an extended encyclopedia entry and provides little information beyond that found in other histories of the era or biographies of the principal players. The definitive Bud Powell biography is probably still to be written.

The most useful part of the book is the discography. This is presented first as a critical analysis and then as a detailed chronology of Powell's recordings. Together, these two chapters provide a brief but comprehensive survey of Powell's career and are useful to anyone building a collection of his important recordings. The book also pulls together a number of photos of both Powell and the musicians who influenced him; unfortunately, many of these are so dark as printed in the book, that many details are hard to make out.

3.0 out of 5 stars gotta have it in your Bud Powell library, May 27, 2010

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Roman Midnight Music (Manhattan, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Glass Enclosure: The Life of Bud Powell (Bayou Jazz Lives) (Paperback)

One of the other reviews says that this could be written by anyone with access to a library. That is theoretically true. But, the problem is that there just aren't that many books out there solely dedicated to Bud, not like the number of books dedicated to Miles Davis or John Coltraine. So, though this may not be stuffed in new information, there's just not that much new information and what's out there requires a really really good library. Indeed, as also has been said, the discography is a highlight. So, get this book as an addition to your library if you love Bud. Also, if you want to know every little detail this is also a good place to go.