Ethan Iverson & Umbria Jazz Orchestra: Bud Powell In The 21st Century

Former The Bad Plus pianist Ethan Iverson returns to his roots in this tribute to the legendary bebop pianist Bud Powell, taking material from the mercurial icon and giving them a rich reinterpretation with the Umbria Jazz Orchestra and guests Ingrid Jensen/tp, Dayna Stephens/sax, Lewis Nash/dr and Ben Street/b. The orchestra supplies rich brassy chorales in an almost Renaissance mood on a collection of “Five Simple Spells”. Iverson and company go back to the original seminal bebop sessions of the early 50s and late 40s, with sizzling and joyful takes of the marrow of modern jazz in “Celia”, “Bouncing With Bud”, “Tempus Fugit”, “Wail” and the cleverly harmonized “Dance of the Infidels”. Iverson’s own originals give reference to bebop standards, with “Cherokee” and “All The Things You Are” woven into both parts of “Bud Powell In The 21st Century” and “Nobile Paradiso. The full band has a field day with the wild “Un Poco Loco” and if the only thing this album does is make you search out the original Blue Note sessions that inspired this album, it has served an noble and  important purpose.

www.sunnysiderecords.com

 

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