''Jazz Giant'' is a studio album by

jazz pianist 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 instru ...

Bud Powell, released on Norgran in 1950, featuring two sessions that Powell recorded for

Norman Granz Norman Granz (August 6, 1918 – November 22, 2001) was an American jazz record producer and concert promoter. He founded the record labels Clef, Norgran, Down Home, Verve, and Pablo. Granz was acknowledged as "the most successful impres ...

in 1949 and 1950. The album was remastered and re-released on CD in 2001 by

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

as a Verve Master Edition. The sessions also appear on '' The Complete Bud Powell on Verve'' (1994) box set.

History

The first session, with Ray Brown and

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He work ...

, 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

Curley Russell Dillon "Curley" Russell (19 March 1917 – 3 July 1986) was an American jazz musician, who played bass on many bebop recordings. He was born in New York, United States. He was nicknamed "Curley" for his curly hair. A member of the Tadd Damero ...

and Roach, is from February 1950, post-dating his first

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...

session for ''

The Amazing Bud Powell ''The Amazing Bud Powell'', also called ''The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1'', is an album by Jazz piano, jazz pianist Bud Powell, first released on Blue Note Records, Blue Note in April 1952, as a 10" vinyl. It is part of a loosely connected series ...

''.

Track listing

''All songs were written by Bud Powell, except where noted.'' #"

Tempus Fugue-it "Tempus Fugue-it" (also known as "Tempus Fugit") is a 1949 jazz composition by jazz pianist Bud Powell (1924–1966). It has been recorded by Powell, Miles Davis and many others. The song is not actually a fugue in compositional form; its ti ...

" (aka "Tempus Fugit") – 2:29 #"Celia" – 3:01 #"

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

" (

Ray Noble Raymond Stanley Noble (17 December 1903 – 2 April 1978) was an English jazz and big band musician, who was a bandleader, composer and arranger, as well as a radio host, television and film comedian and actor; he also performed in the United ...

) – 3:39 #"I'll Keep Loving You" – 2:43 #"Strictly Confidential" – 3:10 #"All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" ( Bronislaw Kaper,

Gus Kahn Gustav Gerson Kahn (November 6, 1886October 8, 1941) was an American lyricist who contributed a number of songs to the Great American Songbook, including " Pretty Baby", " Ain't We Got Fun?", " Carolina in the Morning", " Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo ...

Walter Jurmann Walter Jurmann (October 12, 1903 - June 17, 1971) 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. Biography Born in Vienna, Jurman ...

) – 3:02 #"So Sorry Please" – 3:18 #" Get Happy" ( Harold Arlen,

Ted Koehler Ted L. Koehler (July 14, 1894 – January 17, 1973) was an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. Life and career Koehler was born in 1894 in Washington, D.C. He started out as a photo-engraver, but w ...

) – 2:55 #"

Sometimes I'm Happy "Sometimes I'm Happy" is a popular song. The music was written by Vincent Youmans, the lyrics by Irving Caesar. The song was originally published in 1923 under the title "Come On And Pet Me," with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and William Cary ...

" (

Vincent Youmans Vincent Millie Youmans (September 27, 1898 – April 5, 1946) was an American Broadway composer and producer. A leading Broadway composer of his day, Youmans collaborated with virtually all the greatest lyricists on Broadway: Ira Gershwin, ...

Irving Caesar Irving Caesar (born Isidor Keiser, July 4, 1895 – December 18, 1996) was an American lyricist and theater composer who wrote lyrics for numerous song standards, including " Swanee", "Sometimes I'm Happy", " Crazy Rhythm", and " Tea for T ...

) – 3:40 #"

Sweet Georgia Brown "Sweet Georgia Brown" is a jazz standard composed in 1925 by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard, with lyrics by Kenneth Casey. History Reportedly, Ben Bernie came up with the concept for the song's lyrics – although he is not the credited lyricis ...

" ( Maceo Pinkard,

Kenneth Casey Kenneth Casey (January 10, 1899 – August 10, 1965) was an American composer, publisher, author, and child movie star in early silents. Biography Born in New York City, Casey worked as a child actor in over thirty films for Vitagraph Studios b ...

) – 2:51 #" Yesterdays" (

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) 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 ove ...

Otto Harbach Otto Abels Harbach, born Otto Abels Hauerbach (August 18, 1873 – January 24, 1963) was an American lyricist and librettist of nearly 50 musical comedies and operettas. Harbach collaborated as lyricist or librettist with many of the leading B ...

) – 2:53 #" April in Paris" (

Vernon Duke Vernon Duke ( 16 January 1969) was a Russian-born American composer/songwriter who also wrote under his birth name, Vladimir Dukelsky. He is best known for " Taking a Chance on Love," with lyrics by Ted Fetter and John Latouche (1940), "I Can' ...

, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg) – 3:12 #" Body and Soul" ( Johnny Green,

Edward Heyman Edward Heyman (March 14, 1907October 16, 1981) was an American lyricist and producer, best known for his lyrics to " Body and Soul," "When I Fall in Love," and " For Sentimental Reasons." He also contributed to a number of songs for films. Biog ...

Robert Sour The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, hono ...

, Frank Eyton) – 3:21

Personnel

Performance

* Bud Powell –

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

''February 23, 1949, tracks 1-6.'' * Ray Brown – bass (except track 4 – Powell solo) *

– drums (except track 4 – Powell solo) ''February 1950, tracks 7-13.'' *

– bass (except track 11 – Powell solo) *Max Roach – drums (except track 11 – Powell solo)

Production

– producer *

David Stone Martin David Stone Martin, born David Livingstone Martin (June 13, 1913 – March 6, 1992 in New London, Connecticut) was an American artist best known for his illustrations on jazz record albums.Detailed biographical information is spread throughout ...

–

cover design Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

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 Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

– drums

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jazz Giant Bud Powell albums 1956 albums Norgran Records albums Verve Records albums Albums produced by Norman Granz Albums with cover art by David Stone Martin