Jazz Giant
Encyclopedia
Jazz Giant is a studio album by jazz pianist
Bud Powell
, released on Norgran in 1956, featuring two sessions that Powell recorded for Norman Granz
in 1949 and 1950.
The album was remastered and re-released on CD in 2001 by Verve
as a Verve Master Edition. The sessions also appear on The Complete Bud Powell on Verve
(1994) box set.
and Max Roach
, took place on February 23, 1949 after Powell obtained a temporary release from Creedmoor State Hospital
where he was receiving psychiatric treatment, and represents his second recording date as leader (the first being his Roost
session in 1947 – see Bud Powell Trio
). The second, with Curly Russell and Roach, is from February 1950, post-dating his first Blue Note
session for The Amazing Bud Powell
.
, except where noted.
February 23, 1949, tracks 1-6.
February 1950, tracks 7-13.
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February 23, 1949, side A tracks 1-3,, side B tracks 1, 3.
February 1950, side B track 2 – Powell solo.
.jpg)
February 1950, side A tracks 1-3, side B tracks 1-3.
July 1, 1950, side A track 4, side B track 4
Jazz piano
Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instrument's combined melodic and harmonic capabilities...
Bud Powell
Bud Powell
Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell was an American Jazz pianist. Powell has been described as one of "the two most significant pianists of the style of modern jazz that came to be known as bop", the other being his friend and contemporary Thelonious Monk...
, released on Norgran in 1956, featuring two sessions that Powell recorded for Norman Granz
Norman Granz
Norman Granz was an American jazz music impresario and producer.Granz was a fundamental figure in American jazz, especially from about 1947 to 1960...
in 1949 and 1950.
The album was remastered and re-released on CD in 2001 by Verve
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
as a Verve Master Edition. The sessions also appear on The Complete Bud Powell on Verve
The Complete Bud Powell on Verve
The Complete Bud Powell on Verve is a five-disc box set, released on September 27, 1994, containing all of jazz pianist Bud Powell's recordings as leader for Verve.-Disc one:#"Tempus Fugue-it" – 2:25#"Celia" – 2:57...
(1994) box set.
History
The first session, with Ray BrownRay Brown (musician)
Raymond Matthews Brown was an American jazz double bassist.-Biography:Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one...
and Max Roach
Max Roach
Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
, took place on February 23, 1949 after Powell obtained a temporary release from Creedmoor State Hospital
Creedmoor Psychiatric Center
Creedmoor Psychiatric Center is a psychiatric hospital in Queens Village, Queens, New York, United States that provides inpatient, outpatient and residential services for severely mentally ill patients...
where he was receiving psychiatric treatment, and represents his second recording date as leader (the first being his Roost
Roost Records
Roost Records was a record label established in 1949, primarily to record jazz, taking its secondary name from the New York club with which it was associated...
session in 1947 – see Bud Powell Trio
Bud Powell Trio
Bud Powell Trio is a studio album by jazz pianist Bud Powell, released on Roost in 1957, featuring two sessions that Powell recorded in 1947 and 1953...
). The second, with Curly Russell and Roach, is from February 1950, post-dating his first Blue Note
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
session for The Amazing Bud Powell
The Amazing Bud Powell
The Amazing Bud Powell, also called The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1, is a 1951 album by jazz pianist Bud Powell. It is part of a loosely connected series with the 1953 companion The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 2 and the 1957 Bud! The Amazing Bud Powell , all released on Blue Note. The album details two...
.
Track listing
All songs were written by Bud PowellBud Powell
Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell was an American Jazz pianist. Powell has been described as one of "the two most significant pianists of the style of modern jazz that came to be known as bop", the other being his friend and contemporary Thelonious Monk...
, except where noted.
- "Tempus Fugue-itTempus Fugue-it"Tempus Fugue-it" is a 1949 jazz composition by bebop pianist Bud Powell. It has been recorded by Powell, Miles Davis and many others....
" (aka "Tempus Fugit") – 2:29 - "Celia" – 3:01
- "Cherokee" (Ray NobleRay Noble (musician)Ray Noble was an English bandleader, composer, arranger and actor. Noble studied music at the Royal Academy of Music and became leader of the HMV Records studio band in 1929. The band, known as the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, featured members of many of the top hotel orchestras of the day...
) – 3:39 - "I'll Keep Loving You" – 2:43
- "Strictly Confidential" – 3:10
- "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" (Bronislaw KaperBronislaw KaperBronisław Kaper was a Polish film composer who scored films and musical theater in Germany, France, and the USA. The American immigration authorities misspelled his name as Bronislau Kaper...
, Gus KahnGus KahnGustav Gerson Kahn was a musician, songwriter and lyricist.-Biography:Kahn was born in Koblenz, Germany in 1886. The family emigrated from there to the United States and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1890...
, Walter JurmannWalter JurmannWalter Jurmann was an Austrian-born composer of popular music renowned for his versatility who, after emigrating to the United States, specialized in film scores and soundtracks....
) – 3:02 - "So Sorry Please" – 3:18
- "Get HappyGet Happy (song)"Get Happy" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler.It was the first song they wrote together, and was introduced by Ruth Etting in The Nine-Fifteen Revue in 1930....
" (Harold ArlenHarold ArlenHarold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, "Over the Rainbow,” Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the...
, Ted KoehlerTed KoehlerTed L. Koehler was an American lyricist.-Life and career:Koehler was born in Washington, D.C. He started out as a photo-engraver but was attracted to the music business, where he started out as a theater pianist for silent films. He moved on to write for vaudeville shows and Broadway, and he also...
) – 2:55 - "Sometimes I'm HappySometimes I'm Happy (Sometimes I'm Blue)"Sometimes I'm Happy " is a popular song.The music was written by Vincent Youmans, the lyrics by Irving Caesar. The song was published in 1927 and introduced in the Broadway musical Hit the Deck, starring Stanley Holloway, and opened in April, 1927...
" (Vincent YoumansVincent YoumansVincent Youmans was an American popular composer and Broadway producer.- Life :Vincent Millie Youmans was born in New York City on September 27, 1898 and grew-up on Central Park West on the site where the Mayflower Hotel once stood. His father, a prosperous hat manufacturer, moved the family to...
, Irving CaesarIrving CaesarIrving Caesar was an American lyricist and theater composer who wrote lyrics for "Swanee," "Sometimes I'm Happy," "Crazy Rhythm," and "Tea for Two," one of the most frequently recorded tunes ever written. He was born and died in New York.Caesar, the son of Morris Keiser, a Romanian Jew, was...
) – 3:40 - "Sweet Georgia BrownSweet Georgia Brown"Sweet Georgia Brown" is a jazz standard and pop tune written in 1925 by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard and Kenneth Casey .The tune was first recorded on March 19, 1925 by bandleader Ben Bernie, resulting in a five-week No. 1 for Ben Bernie and his Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra...
" (Maceo PinkardMaceo PinkardMaceo Pinkard was an American composer, lyricist, and music publisher. Among his compositions is "Sweet Georgia Brown", a popular standard for decades after its composition and famous as the theme of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.Pinkard was inducted in the National Academy of...
, Kenneth CaseyKenneth CaseyKenneth Casey was a United States composer, publisher, author and child actor.He is best remembered as the lyricist for the song "Sweet Georgia Brown".-External links:...
) – 2:51 - "Yesterdays" (Jerome KernJerome KernJerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A...
, Otto HarbachOtto HarbachOtto Abels Harbach, born Otto Abels Hauerbach was an American lyricist and librettist of about 50 musical comedies...
) – 2:53 - "April in ParisApril in Paris (song)"April in Paris" is a song composed by Vernon Duke with lyrics by E. Y. Harburg in 1932 for the Broadway musical, Walk A Little Faster. The original 1933 hit was performed by Freddy Martin, and the 1952 remake was by the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, whose version made the Cashbox Top 50.Composer Alec...
" (Vernon DukeVernon DukeVernon Duke was a Russian-American composer/songwriter, who also wrote under his original name Vladimir Dukelsky. He is best known for "Taking a Chance on Love" with lyrics by Ted Fetter and John Latouche, "I Can't Get Started" with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, "April in Paris" with lyrics by E. Y...
, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg) – 3:12 - "Body and SoulBody and Soul (song)"Body and Soul" was recorded as a duet by Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse in 2011. It was the final recording made by Winehouse before her death on July 23, 2011. The single was released worldwide on September 14, 2011 on iTunes, MTV and VH1....
" (Johnny GreenJohnny GreenJohnny Green was an American songwriter, composer, musical arranger, and conductor. He was given the nickname "Beulah" by colleague Conrad Salinger. His most famous song was one of his earliest, "Body and Soul"...
, Edward HeymanEdward HeymanEdward Heyman was an American musician and lyricist, best known for his compositions "Body and Soul", "When I Fall in Love", and "For Sentimental Reasons". He also contributed many songs for films.-Biography:...
, Robert SourRobert SourRobert Sour was a lyricist and composer, and the president of Broadcast Music Incorporated .In 1940 Sour worked for Broadcast Music as its lyrics editor, and by 1966 had risen through company ranks to become BMI's president. Two years later he had become the company's vice chairman and was...
, Frank EytonFrank EytonFrank Eyton was an English popular music lyricist best known for co-writing the lyrics of Johnny Green's "Body and Soul" with Edward Heyman and Robert Sour....
) – 3:21
Performance
- Bud PowellBud PowellEarl Rudolph "Bud" Powell was an American Jazz pianist. Powell has been described as one of "the two most significant pianists of the style of modern jazz that came to be known as bop", the other being his friend and contemporary Thelonious Monk...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
February 23, 1949, tracks 1-6.
- Ray BrownRay Brown (musician)Raymond Matthews Brown was an American jazz double bassist.-Biography:Ray Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and had piano lessons from the age of eight. After noticing how many pianists attended his high school, he thought of taking up the trombone, but was unable to afford one...
– bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
(except track 4 – Powell solo) - Max RoachMax RoachMaxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(except track 4 – Powell solo)
February 1950, tracks 7-13.
- Curly Russell – bass (except track 11 – Powell solo)
- Max Roach – drums (except track 11 – Powell solo)
Production
- Norman GranzNorman GranzNorman Granz was an American jazz music impresario and producer.Granz was a fundamental figure in American jazz, especially from about 1947 to 1960...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - David Stone MartinDavid Stone MartinDavid Stone Martin , born David Livingstone Martin, was an influential American artist best known for his illustrations on jazz record albums....
– cover designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
Release history
All of the tracks on Jazz Giant apart from "Cherokee" were first released in album form on two 10" LPs in 1950: Piano Solos and Piano Solos #2, the latter LP also having two tracks ("Tea for Two" and "Hallelujah!") from a separate session not on Jazz Giant. "Cherokee" had only previously appeared as a single and on The Jazz Scene, a compilation album featuring various artists.Piano Solos 10" LP (MG 35012, MGC 102, MGC 502)
- "Tempus Fugue-It" – 2:29
- "I'll Keep Loving You" – 2:43
- "Celia" – 3:01
- "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" (Kaper, Kahn, Jurmann) – 3:02
- "Yesterdays" (Kern, Harbach) – 2:53
- "Strictly Confidential" – 3:10
February 23, 1949, side A tracks 1-3,, side B tracks 1, 3.
- Ray Brown – bass
- Max Roach – drums
February 1950, side B track 2 – Powell solo.
Piano Solos #2 10" LP (MGC 507)
- "So Sorry Please" – 3:18
- "April in Paris" (Duke, Harburg) – 3:13
- "Get Happy" (Arlen, Koehler) – 2:55
- "Tea For Two" – 3:49
- "Sweet Georgia Brown" (Pinkard, Casey) – 2:51
- "Body and Soul" (Green, Heyman, Sour, Eyton) – 3:24
- "Sometimes I'm Happy" (Youmans, Caesar) – 3:40
- "Hallelujah!" – 2:59
February 1950, side A tracks 1-3, side B tracks 1-3.
- Curley Russell – bass
- Max Roach – drums
July 1, 1950, side A track 4, side B track 4
- Ray Brown – bass
- Buddy RichBuddy RichBernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Rich was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuosic technique, power, groove, and speed.-Early life:...
– drums