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.
Lullaby of Birdland
Bud Powell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always hear when you sigh
Never in my wordland
Could there be ways to reveal
In a phrase how I feel
Have you ever heard two turtle doves
Bill and coo when they love?
Music we make with our lips when we kiss
And there's a weepy old willow
He really knows how to cry
That's how I'd cry in my pillow
If you should tell me farewell and goodbye
Lullaby of Birdland whisper low
Kiss me sweet and we'll go
Flyin' high in Birdland
High in the sky up above
All because we're in love
The lyrics to Bud Powell's "Lullaby of Birdland" convey the sentiment of falling in love and experiencing the awe-inspiring sensation of being in love. The opening line, "Lullaby of Birdland, that's what I always hear when you sigh," sets the tone for the rest of the song as the singer's lover's sighs evoke a sense of tranquility and happiness associated with the lullaby of Birdland. The second line, "Never in my wordland could there be ways to reveal, in a phrase, how I feel," indicates that the emotion is so profound and intense that it cannot be expressed in words.
The following lines compare the singer's feelings to the magic of love that two turtle doves share when they bill and coo. The use of this metaphor represents the connection between two lovers and the magic that produces harmonious moments. Then, the singer refers to a "weepy old willow" tree that knows how to cry, which suggests that if the relationship with their partner ended, the singer would be as heartbroken as the willow tree.
Overall, the lyrics of "Lullaby of Birdland" are a romantic tribute to the power of love, emphasizing the beauty of flying high into the sky above without any reservations or doubts due to being in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Lullaby of Birdland, that's what I
The melody of Birdland acts like a lullaby to me, calming me and making me feel at ease.
Always hear when you sigh
Whenever you sigh, it sounds like the soothing notes of the Lullaby of Birdland to my ears.
Never in my wordland
There are no words in my vocabulary that can aptly express the feeling when I am near you.
Could there be ways to reveal
I am at a loss for words, as anything I say wouldn't come close to expressing the emotions I feel around you.
In a phrase how I feel
All I can attempt to do is sum up these emotions in a single phrase.
Have you ever heard two turtle doves
Have you ever listened to two turtle doves when they are love is something you simply cannot explain.
Bill and coo when they love?
The noises they make represents the inexplicable wonder and amazement one feels when they are in love.
That's the kind of magic
The kind of magic that happens between them is as impressive as the wonders of the Birdland tunes.
Music we make with our lips when we kiss
Likewise, the sounds we make through our kisses resemble the beauty of the Birdland's charms.
And there's a weepy old willow
The weeping willow is a symbol of sadness, inconsolable distress and despair.
He really knows how to cry
The weeping willow appears to know how to perfectly express our emotions of sorrow and sadness.
That's how I'd cry in my pillow
That's how I would feel if you express your intention of leaving me [refer to the next line].
If you should tell me farewell and goodbye
If ever you leave my life, I'd be heartbroken like the weeping willow, crying in solitude in my room.
Lullaby of Birdland whisper low
The Lullaby of Birdland is a tune that comes from the lips, humming quietly and delicately.
Kiss me sweet and we'll go
If we share a sweet kiss, we will be taken on a romantic journey beyond the sky, and into the realms of heavenly marvels.
Flyin' high in Birdland
The aerial flight will take us to Birdland where we can experience the wonders of tremendous beauty and enchanting music.
High in the sky up above
We'll be closer to the sky, up above where the clouds collate, and everything below appears minuscule.
All because we're in love
The result of our love will be so intense that it will take us to the greatest heights and deepest depths of the universe.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Shearing, George David Weiss
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ramakumar Jones
Real sharp and inventive-Bud Powell is still a total inspiration for me.
Kolef88
This is Bud at his best.
Stephen Schwab
Nobody has played at this level since.One of the greatest musicians to ever grace the planet.
善史 小野
テンポ良く演奏しますねえ、原曲メロディーを意外に大切した演奏ですね🎵👏❗️
Luke Kaven
This was broadcast from Birdland and recorded off the radio by Boris Rose, and issued and reissued in many forms. Spring 53 Broadcasts. It's the prime Bud Powell.
Viggo Simonsen
Like someone said about Bird, I will restate about Bud: 'He could make an adult man cry'.
TheHighTower
I feel his playing.
SuperCooldesign
TheHighTower I try to play his feeling
Nuri Majeed
1st heard Bud when I was a teenager n 70's didn't know what I was hearing but I know now its genius...whatever his mental state
Edouard CARRE
Un grand, grand, grand pianiste, injustement oublié...