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.
Spring Is Here
Bud Powell Lyrics
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Spring is here! Why isn't the waltz entrancing?
No desire, no ambition leads me
Maybe it's because nobody needs me
Spring is here! Why doesn't the breeze delight me?
Stars appear, why doesn't the night invite me?
Maybe it's because nobody loves me
Spring is here I hear
Spring is here! Why doesn't my heart go dancing?
Spring is here! Why isn't the waltz entrancing?
No desire, no ambition leads me
Maybe it's because nobody needs me
Spring is here! Why doesn't the breeze delight me?
Stars appear, why doesn't the night invite me?
Maybe it's because nobody loves me
Spring is here I hear
Bud Powell's Spring Is Here is a beautiful and melancholic song that speaks about the arrival of Spring, a season that is usually associated with new beginnings, warmth, and hope. However, the singer in the song is not able to feel any of these things. He wonders why he is not able to enjoy the beautiful weather or the magical atmosphere of the season. He asks himself why his heart doesn't go dancing, why the waltz isn't entrancing, why the night doesn't invite him, and why nobody loves him. The lyrics capture the melancholy that can come with the arrival of Spring, especially when someone is longing for love and companionship.
The song's lyrics are simple yet powerful. They capture the essence of loneliness and the yearning for love that can be felt by anyone. The use of rhetorical questions is effective in conveying the singer's feelings of confusion and helplessness. The lyrics also have a certain poetic quality, and they flow well with the melody. The melody of the song is simple and haunting, and it amplifies the emotions conveyed by the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Spring is here! Why doesn't my heart go dancing?
Although it's springtime, I don't feel happy and excited like I should be. I wonder why my heart is not light and dancing.
Spring is here! Why isn't the waltz entrancing?
Even though it's the perfect season for romantic waltzes, I don't find them enchanting. I feel like something is missing.
No desire, no ambition leads me
I don't have any goals or aspirations in life that motivate me. I feel aimless and purposeless.
Maybe it's because nobody needs me
I feel like I don't have any important role or place in this world. Maybe that's why I lack motivation and drive.
Spring is here! Why doesn't the breeze delight me?
Even the pleasant spring breeze doesn't make me happy. I wonder why I can't enjoy the simple pleasures in life like other people do.
Stars appear, why doesn't the night invite me?
Even the starry night sky, which is usually beautiful and captivating, doesn't make me feel special or included. I feel left out and alone.
Maybe it's because nobody loves me
Perhaps the reason for my lack of joy and enthusiasm is that I don't feel loved or valued by anyone. Love is a powerful source of happiness and fulfillment.
Spring is here I hear
Despite my struggles, I cannot deny the evidence of springtime, which is all around me. I can hear the birds singing, the trees rustling and the flowers blooming. Spring is here, whether I feel happy about it or not.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HANS SPIALEK, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind