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.
Thou Swell
Bud Powell Lyrics
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Thou sweet, thou grand
Wouldst kiss me pretty
Wouldst hold my hand
Both thine eyes are cute too
What they do to me?
Hear me holler I choose
I'd feel so rich
In a hut for two
Two rooms and kitchen
I'm sure would do
Give me just a plot of
Not a lot of land
And thou swell, thou witty
Thou grand
Thou swell, thou witty
Thou sweet, thou grand
Wouldst kiss me pretty
Wouldst hold my hand
Both thine eyes are cute too
What they do to me?
Hear me holler I choose
A sweet lollapaloosa in thee
I'd feel so rich
In a hut for two
Two rooms and kitchen
I'm sure would do
Give me just a plot of
Not a lot of land
And thou swell, thou witty
Thou grand
The song "Thou Swell" is a love song that expresses the joy and happiness that the singer feels towards their lover. The opening lines of the song "Thou swell, thou witty, thou sweet, thou grand" are used to describe the singer's lover who is charming, clever, kind, and impressive. The singer expresses their desire for physical affection in the lines "Wouldst kiss me pretty, Wouldst hold my hand" indicating a deep yearning for intimacy with their lover.
The second verse of the song talks about the effect that the lover's beautiful eyes have on the singer. The lines "Both thine eyes are cute too, what they do to me? Hear me holler I choose a sweet lollapaloosa in thee" shows that the singer is so captivated by their lover's eyes that they are willing to do anything for them.
In the final verse, the singer declares their contentment with just being with their lover. They express that they would feel rich with just a small home for two and a plot of land. The song is a romantic declaration of love and blissful contentment with their partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Thou swell, thou witty
You are charming and clever
Thou sweet, thou grand
You are lovely and impressive
Wouldst kiss me pretty
Will you kiss me attractively
Wouldst hold my hand
Will you hold my hand
Both thine eyes are cute too
Your eyes are also adorable
What they do to me?
How they affect me?
Hear me holler I choose
Hear me shouting, I desire
A sweet lollapaloosa in thee
A delightful time with you
I'd feel so rich
I would feel wealthy
In a hut for two
Living in a small home for the two of us
Two rooms and kitchen
A simple abode with two rooms and a kitchen
I'm sure would do
I am convinced it would be enough
Give me just a plot of
I only need a piece of land
Not a lot of land
Not a large amount of land
And thou swell, thou witty
As long as you are charming and clever
Thou grand
And impressive
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind