Although Bud Powell may not be one of the first names to spring to mind in listing the greats of jazz piano, he was undoubtedly one of the most important and influential, who deserves to be ranked alongside the more lauded luminaries of the genre. Brief, patchy and sadly interrupted by illness and misfortune as his career was, he was hugely influential in changing the conventions of jazz piano in the post-swing era, and introduced techniques that have been taken up by dozens of noted players in his wake. Coming to prominence at the birth of bebop, he became the most important pianist of the early bop style, abandoning the established striding left-hand technique in favour of spacey irregular patterns of dissonant chords, while the right hand developed rapid free-flowing melodic lines effectively mimicking the saxophone style of Charlie Parker on the piano. It resulted at times in inspired, brilliant and breathtaking solos, with a daring attack and intensity, which greatly influenced artists of later years such as Bill Evans. This collection is an overview of his career, selecting recordings from a wide spectrum of the projects and periods which gave rise to some of his best-known and most highly regarded performances. The regard in which he was held by his peers is underlined by the litany of jazz greats with whom he performs on many of these recordings.

Disc 1
1    You Talk a Little Trash - Cootie Williams Sextet
2    September in the Rain - Frankie Socolow's Duke Quintet
3    Long Tall Dexter - Dexter Gordon Quintet
4    Serenade to Square - Sonny Stitt & His Bebop Boys
5    Buzzy - Charlie Parker All Stars
6    Celia
7    Strictly Confidential
8    Wail - Bud Powell's Modernists
9    Off Minor
10    Indiana
11    Move - Stars of Modern Jazz
12    I Want to Be Happy - Sonny Stitt & Bud Powell Quartet
13    Fine and Dandy - Sonny Stitt & Bud Powell Quartet
14    Sweet Georgia Brown
15    April in Paris
16    Get Happy
17    Ornithology - Charlie Parker Quintet
18    Tea for Two
19    The Last Time I Saw Paris - Bud Powell
20    A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square - Bud Powell
21    Oblivion - Bud Powell

Disc 2
1    Un Poco Loco
2    Autumn in New York
3    Polka Dots and Moonbeams
4    Round Midnight
5    Tenderly
6    Willow Groove
7    Jump City
8    Blue Pearl
9    Frantic Fancies
10    Scrapple from the Apple
11    Marmalade
12    Sub City
13    John's Abbey
14    Danceland
15    Crossin' the Channel
16    Get Happy - The Three Bosses & Friends
17    I Remember Clifford - Don Byas & Bud Powell Quartet