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.
Over the Rainbow
Bud Powell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
The lyrics of "Over the Rainbow" describe the desire to escape the current reality and reach a better place where dreams can come true. The opening line suggests that the singer is imagining a world that is far away and high above - a place they've only heard about in a lullaby. The singer yearns for a place where the skies are blue, symbolizing a peaceful and serene atmosphere. As the song continues, the singer reveals that they will wish upon a star and leave all of their troubles behind to find this place - where even the most difficult problems melt away like lemon drops. The line "high above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" adds to the dreamy and whimsical tone of the song. The final verse reiterates the idea that the singer is unable to find this magical land, asking "why, oh why" can't they reach it like the bluebirds that fly over it.
Overall, "Over the Rainbow" is a song that speaks to the human desire to reach beyond our current reality and find a place where our dreams can come true. It is a song about hope and the search for something more, and its message has resonated with people for decades.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a place, high above the earth, that's far beyond my current reach
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
I've heard of a special, magical place before, but it was only in a song
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
In that far away place, the sky is a beautiful shade of blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream, Really do come true.
If you have the courage to dream big, those dreams can actually come to life
Someday I'll wish upon a star
One day, I'll make a wish upon a star, hoping for something special
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
When my wish comes true, I'll be in a place that's far removed from any problems or concerns
Where troubles melt like lemon drops, High above the chimney tops, That's where you'll find me.
In that special place, all of my troubles will simply disappear and I'll be free to enjoy a simpler, happier life
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
In that distant, magical land, cheerful blue birds are able to soar and enjoy freedom
Birds fly over the rainbow
These birds have the ability to fly far beyond the rainbow and explore the mysterious lands beyond
Why then, oh why can't I?
I'm left asking myself why I can't have this same freedom and opportunity to explore new places
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
I've noticed that even the small, innocent blue birds are able to find happiness and freedom beyond the rainbow, which makes me wonder why I can't do the same
Why, oh why can't I?
Once again, I'm left wondering why I don't have the same freedom and opportunities as these carefree birds
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Yip Harburg, Harold Arlen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hanna PK
One of a kind. Purely genius. Truly Brilliant. Amazing Bus Powell.
DrJones
genius, absolutely genius
K.E. Brothers
Great!
Roger Alsop
How to decorate a song.
Artemio Cavagna
Genius
Kim Paterson
The Great B P