Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell (September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966) was one of t… Read Full Bio ↴Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell (September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966) was one of the most influential pianists in the history of jazz. Along with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie he was instrumental in the development of bebop, and his virtuosity as a pianist led many to call him "the Charlie Parker of the piano".

Powell was perhaps the first pianist to vocalize on the piano, meaning that he transfered his vocalized improvisations directly through his hands to the instrument. This gave his music a deep connection to time, which is an artifact of the human voice. Previously, horn players were more likely to express their improvisations vocally, as the mouth and breath are directly tied to the performance of horn players.

Powell suffered from Bi-Polar Disorder, and in November 1947, Powell was admitted to Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, where he stayed for more than a year, receiving electroconvulsive therapy which caused severe memory loss. The young Jackie McLean and Sonny Rollins became friendly with Powell on his release from the hospital, and Powell recommended McLean to Miles Davis. However, Powell suffered from mental illness throughout his life, and had a reputation for his strange behaviour. In fact his problems, exacerbated by a beating from the police in 1945 for being disorderly, could all be attributed to being a manic depressive, although his illness was almost certainly a key driver of his immense creative talent. He was also an alcoholic, and even small quantities of alcohol had a profound effect on his character, making him aggressive. Powell's continued rivalry with Charlie Parker, while essential to the production of brilliant music, was also the subject of disruptive feuding and bitterness on the bandstand, as a result of Powell's troubled mental and physical condition. He spent all of 1952 (and parts of many subsequent years) in a hospital. When he was out of the hospital, he was often locked up in a hotel room and was usually denied receiving the money he earned performing.

It is generally agreed that his best recordings are those made prior to 1954, both for Blue Note Records and for Norman Granz (at Mercury Records, Norgran Records, Clef Records and later on Verve Records).

After 1953 (when Powell attempted suicide), his style became darker and slower. Many jazz critics pronounced him "washed up" during the last decade of his career. There were a few recordings which never should have been issued (Verve from January 1955 and Roulette Oct. 1964). Still, he continued to play with great intensity even without the speed that made him famous in the 1940s. His late 1950s Blue Note recordings are recommended. Bud performed regularly with drummer Kenny Clarke and bassists Oscar Pettiford or Pierre Michelot. He performed brilliantly as a sideman for Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, and Dexter Gordon on recordings in the early 1960s. As late as 1962 he recorded concerts in Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland, in which he played as brilliantly as he had played in the late 1940s. Powell moved to France in 1959, when his life was extended by several years under the care of a fan named Francis Paudras, whose book "Dance of the Infidels" is required reading for any Powell fan. Paudras' friendship produced many impromptu recordings and was the basis for the 1987 Bernard Tavenier film "Round Midnight", for which Dexter Gordon received a best actor Oscar nomination (as a fictional composite of Bud Powell and Lester Young).

Paudras and Powell returned to Birdland in the fall of 1964 to initial critical acclaim. Bud despised the drummer he had to play with and soon lost his regular engagement at Birdland. After Paudras returned to France without Powell, ESP-disk's founder became Bud's legal guardian, but let Bud self-destruct from late 1964 until his death in July, 1966. Bud's last recordings were a haunting, sparse "Round Midnight" from Carnegie Hall in March 1965 and other trio tracks from January 1966 on the mysterious "Ups 'n Downs" album.

He is survived by his daughter Celia, who has been reissuing Paudras' recordings of her father on the Pablo and Piadrum labels.

Dear Old Stockholm
Bud Powell Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'Dear Old Stockholm' by these artists:

Art Taylor; Hank Jones; Kenny Burrell; Paul Chambers Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Chet Baker Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Chet Baker & Stan Getz Quartet Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Chet Baker And His Quintet With Bobby Jaspar Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Jay Jay Johnson Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Jay JayJohnson Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
John Coltrane Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
John Coltrane Quartet Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
John Coltrane Quartet and John Coltrane Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…

Miles Davis (Instrumental)…
Miles Davis & John Coltrane Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Miles Davis Quintet Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Miles Davis Quintet [feat. John Coltrane] Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
quincy jones & his orchestra Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Quincy Jones And His Orchestra Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Stan Getz & Chet Baker Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Stan Getz And His Swedish All Stars Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Stan Getz and Swedish All Stars Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Stan Getz Quartet/Chet Baker Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…
Stan Getz/Chet Baker Dear old Southland I hear you calling me. And I long…

We have lyrics for these tracks by Bud Powell:

'Round Midnight It begins to tell 'Round midnight, midnight I do pretty well…
A Foggy Day I was a stranger in the city Out of town were…
All God Chillun', listen here to me This is my philosophy To see me…
All the Things You Are You are the promised kiss of springtime That makes the lone…
Body And Soul My heart is sad and lonely For you I sigh, for…
Cherokee Sweet Indian maiden, since first I met you, I can't…
Deep Night Deep night, stars in the sky above Moonlight, lighting our …
Don't Blame Me Ever since the lucky night I found you I've hung around…
East Of The Sun East of the sun and west of the moon We'll build…
Embraceable You Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you! Embrace me, you irrep…
Everything Happens to Me Black cats creep across my path Until I'm almost mad I must…
Fine and Dandy Please forgive this platitude But I like your attitude You a…
Fine And Dandy Take 1 Please forgive this platitude But I like your attitude You…
Get Happy Pack up your troubles and just get happy Ya better…
Get It The man who only lives for making money Lives a life…
Hallelujah Now I've heard there was a secret chord That David played,…
Hallelujah! Now I've heard there was a secret chord That David played,…
How High the Moon Somewhere there's music How faint the tune Somewhere there's…
I Ain't Foolin' Though folks with good intentions Tell me to save my tears W…
I Can Make You Love Me If You Let Me Yesterday you came my way, And when you smiled at me, In…
I Can't Get Started I've been around the world in a plane Settled revolutions in…
I Cover The Waterfront I cover the waterfront, I'm watching the sea,, Will the on…
I Didn't Know What Time It Was Once I was young Yesterday, perhaps Danced with Jim and Pa…
I Get a Kick Out of You I get no kick from champagne, Mere alcohol, Doesn't thrill…
I Know That You Know Life's a game, but who can play it all alone Ev'ry…
I Remember Clifford This lovely day will lengthen into evening We'll sigh goodby…
I Want to Be Happy I'm a very ordinary man Trying to work out life's happy…
I'll Remember April This lovely day will lengthen into evening We'll sigh goodb…
I've Got You Under My Skin I've got you under my skin. I've got you deep in…
If You Could See Me Now If you could see me now, you'd know how blue…
It Never Entered My Mind Once I laughed when I heard you saying That I'd be…
Like Someone in Love Lately, I find myself out gazing at stars, Hearing guitars…
Lover Come Back to Me You went away I let you We broke the ties that bind I…
Lullaby of Birdland Lullaby of Birdland, that's what I Always hear when you…
My Devotion My devotion Is endless and deep as the ocean And like a…
My Heart Stood Still I took one look at you That's all I meant to…
Nice Work If You Can Get It The man who only lives for making money Lives a life…
Over the Rainbow Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high There's a land that…
Polka Dots And Moonbeams A country dance was being held in a garden I felt…
Round About Midnight It begins to tell 'Round midnight, midnight I do pretty well…
Salt Peanuts Salt peanuts Salt peanuts Salt peanuts Salt peanuts Salt pea…
Somebody Loves Me Yesterday you came my way, And when you smiled at me, In…
Someone To Watch Over Me There's a saying old says that love is blind Still were…
Sometimes I'm Happy Every day seems like a year Sweetheart, when you are not…
Somewhere Over the Rainbow Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high There's a land that…
Spring Is Here Spring is here! Why doesn't my heart go dancing? Spring is…
Stairway to the Stars Let's build a stairway to the stars And climb that stairway…
Star Eyes Star eyes, That to me is what your eyes are, Soft as…
Sure Thing Ruff Endz - Sure Thing Yea? Play that dance song I just w…
Sweet and Lovely Sweet and lovely sweeter than the roses in May Sweet and…
Sweet Lorraine Everything is set, skies are blue, Can't believe it yet, but…
Taking a Chance On Love Here I go again, I hear those trumpets blow again. All…
Tea for Two Tea For Two Tony Bennett (Irving Caesar/Vincent Youmans) I…
Tea for Two (Take 10) Tea For Two Tony Bennett (Irving Caesar/Vincent Youmans) I'…
That Old Black Magic Old black magic has me in its spell Old black magic…
Thou Swell Thou swell, thou witty Thou sweet, thou grand Wouldst kiss…
Yesterdays Yesterdays, yesterdays Days I knew as happy Sweet sequeste…
You Go to My Head You go to my head And you linger like a haunting…
You'd Be so Nice to Come Home To You'd be so nice to come home to You'd be so…

You're Not The Kind You say you're falling in love with me That's why I…

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

TRACKS