One of the giants of the jazz piano, Bud Powell changed the way that virtually all post-swing pianists play. He did away with left-hand striding. His right hand often played speedy single-note lines, essentially transforming Charlie Parker’s vocabulary to the piano (although he developed parallel to “Bird”).

Powell suffered from headaches and mental breakdowns throughout his career due to a racially motivated act of violence by police. Despite this, he recorded some true gems for Roost, Blue Note, and Verve, composing such major works as “Dance of the Infidels,” “Hallucinations” (also known as “Budo”), “Un Poco Loco,” “Bouncing with Bud,” and “Tempus Fugit” in the late 1940s. Although Powell could be intense, his influence on jazz was very strong and he remains one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time.

The Bud Powell Project in Denver came together in an effort to honor the music and legacy of one of jazz music’s finest pianists. This group is led by Stu MacAskie.

Derek Banach, trumpet
Keith Oxman, saxophone
Todd Reid, drums
Patrick McDevitt, bass
Stu MacAskie, piano

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