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.
It Never Entered My Mind
Bud Powell Lyrics
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That I'd be playing solitaire
Uneasy in my easy chair
It never entered my mind
And once you told me I was mistaken
That I'd awaken with the sun
And ordered orange juice for one
You had what I lack, myself
Now I even have to scratch my back myself
Once you warned me that if you scorned me
I'd say a lonely prayer again
And wish that you were there again
To get into my hair again
It never entered my mind
Once you warned me that if you scorned me
I'd say a lonely prayer again
And wish that you were there again
To get into my hair again
It never entered my mind
Bud Powell's song "It Never Entered My Mind" reflects on the heartbreak and regret that someone feels after a relationship has ended. The opening lines, "Once I laughed when I heard you saying That I'd be playing solitaire Uneasy in my easy chair," convey a sense of disbelief and defensiveness that the singer feels upon being told that they will be alone. They are not yet ready to accept that the relationship has come to an end and do not want to face the reality of being on their own.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer's feelings of doubt and regret. They recall a time when their partner had warned them that if they were to leave, the singer would be left feeling lonely and wishing that they were back together. The line "You had what I lack, myself Now I even have to scratch my back myself" highlights the sense of loss and loneliness that the singer has been left with after the relationship has ended. They are now forced to fend for themselves, which only increases their feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
The last verse reveals that, despite everything, the singer still longs for their partner to come back to them. The line "To get into my hair again" suggests that they are willing to put up with any of the negative aspects of the relationship if it means they can be together again. The overall mood of the song is one of melancholy and regret, with a longing for what once was.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I laughed when I heard you saying
When you told me that I would be playing solitaire, I didn't take it seriously and laughed it off.
That I'd be playing solitaire
That I'd be alone after you left, with no one to keep me company.
Uneasy in my easy chair
Despite being at home and comfortable, I would still feel uneasy because you're no longer there with me.
It never entered my mind
I didn't consider the possibility of being alone and feeling lonely until you warned me about it.
And once you told me I was mistaken
You once corrected me when I assumed that I would wake up early in the morning with you by my side.
That I'd awaken with the sun
I thought I would wake up naturally with the sun but you told me otherwise.
And ordered orange juice for one
You ordered orange juice just for yourself, instead of two, indicating that I wouldn't be there to share it with you.
You had what I lack, myself
You may have been self-sufficient but I relied on you to take care of me.
Now I even have to scratch my back myself
I have to do things for myself now that you're gone, even simple tasks like scratching my own back.
Once you warned me that if you scorned me
You cautioned me that if you rejected me, I would feel lonely and pray for your return.
I'd say a lonely prayer again
I would pray again, feeling isolated and desolate without you.
And wish that you were there again
I would long for your presence, wishing that you were with me again.
To get into my hair again
I would even welcome your worst qualities, wanting you so badly that I wouldn't mind dealing with your imperfections.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind