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.
Star Eyes
Bud Powell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That to me is what your eyes are,
Soft as stars in April skies are,
Tell me some day you'll fulfill
Their promise of a thrill.
Star eyes,
Flashing eyes in which my hopes rise,
Let me prove that it adores
That loveliness of yours.
All my life I've felt
Content to stargaze at the skies.
Now I only want to to melt
The stardust in your eyes.
Star eyes,
When if ever, will my lips know
If it's me for whom those eyes glow?
Makes no diff'rence where you are,
Your eyes still hold my wishing star,
Oh, star eyes, how lovely you are.
Bud Powell's song "Star Eyes" explores the concept of captivating beauty through starry imagery. The lyrics describe the subject's eyes as resembling the stars in April skies, both soft and flashing. The singer expresses a hope that someday the promise of their eyes will be fulfilled with a thrilling experience. The song conveys a desire to be close to the person with starry eyes, to prove one's love and adoration for their loveliness. The metaphor of gazing at the stars in the sky is used to contrast the longing to be closer and melt into the stardust in the person's eyes.
Throughout the song, the singer's fixation on the subject's eyes is unwavering. Other lyrics suggest that the subject is aware of this fascination, yet the singer remains unsure if the feelings are reciprocated. It seems that the subject's eyes hold a significant influence over the singer, acting as a wishing star and an object of admiration.
In conclusion, "Star Eyes" is a song about the allure of a person's eyes, comparing their captivating beauty to the stars in the sky. The lyrics express the desire to be closer to the subject and convey a hope that their eyes will fulfill their promise of an exciting experience. The song's tone is one of admiration and longing, as the singer remains fixated on the subject's starry eyes.
Line by Line Meaning
Star eyes,
You have beautiful eyes.
That to me is what your eyes are,
To me, your eyes are like stars, beautiful and bright.
Soft as stars in April skies are,
Your eyes are gentle and delicate, like stars in the April sky.
Tell me some day you'll fulfill
I hope that one day you will fulfill your promise.
Their promise of a thrill.
Your eyes promise a thrill, and I hope that you will deliver.
Flashing eyes in which my hopes rise,
When I see your eyes, my hopes and dreams come alive.
Let me show you where my heart lies.
I want to show you where my feelings and affections lie.
Let me prove that it adores
I want to prove to you that my heart adores you.
That loveliness of yours.
Your loveliness is remarkable, and my heart is captivated by it.
All my life I've felt
Throughout my whole life, I have felt
Content to stargaze at the skies.
Content to gaze at the stars in the sky.
Now I only want to to melt
But now, all I want is to
The stardust in your eyes.
Melt the stardust in your eyes.
When if ever, will my lips know
I wonder if or when my lips will ever know
If it's me for whom those eyes glow?
If your eyes are glowing for me.
Makes no diff'rence where you are,
It doesn't matter where you are,
Your eyes still hold my wishing star,
Your eyes continue to hold my wishing star,
Oh, star eyes, how lovely you are.
Your eyes are so lovely, oh star eyes.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gene De Paul, Don Raye
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DrJones
those big chords are awesome
Suchapill!!
This definitely isn't Bud at his prime but his genius is still evident.
Maga Lee Craveiro
Ruka, boa noite Japão! Eu amo Budy belísssimo!! Favorite and thumbs up, domo arigato!!
Tom Ferguson
Bud Powell utterly and completely translates Bird in “Star Eyes”.
lastknowngood0
The prettiest Star Eyes are Dark Brown I am told and those eyes from The Land of The Rising Sun are by far the loveliest! Here's looking at you Princess! ;-) BTW Chan, Bird's wife of sorts had a Mom who dug the Music and told Bird: 'You could play Star Eyes once in a while"! It really caught on!
Dr. Brian Jude de Lima, PhD
amazing
giorgio Alberti
Bud is the essence of be bob language. Just the best!!!
lastknowngood0
Magic are those Star Eyes from OKA! ;-)
Staffan Lindström
I was there.
Andrea Rinciari
Wow!!