The Amazing Bud Powell

This 1952 release is an early high-water mark in jazz piano hero Bud Powell’s career. His innovative bop style is all over the album: Listen to the bold chord clusters and rhythmic intensity of the Afro-Cuban burner “Un Poco Loco” and the juxtaposition of dazzling runs and poignant harmonies on “Over the Rainbow” for a taste. With ballads (an astounding solo take on “It Could Happen to You”) and bop blowouts (“Wail”), *The Amazing Bud Powell* explodes with invention at every turn.