The Glass Enclosure: The Life of Bud Powell

Rating:
Summary: Essential Reading For all Bud Powell Fans
Review: This short work should be read in conjunction or shortly after reading "Dance of the Infidels : A Portrait of Bud Powell -- by Francis Paudras". "The Glass Enclosure" frequently refers to Francis Paudras, as any biography of Bud Powell must. It contains many pictures of Bud that help to understand him better, including several pictures of his common law wife "Buttercup". The book assumes the reader is familiar with the general history of bebop and figures such as Miles Davis, Diz, Monk, Mingus, Clifford Brown, etc. It was originally published in 1993, so this is a reprint. The book can be read in a couple of days. The research done for the book is good in terms of people who were interviewed. Bud was a genius but a very troubled on. This books explains, sometimes to the point of being painful to read, the details of Bud's mental troubles. It leaves one feeling sad but full of wonder at Bud's extraordinary musical powers and the recorded legacy he leaves for current and future generations. These two books are probably the sum total of all that will ever be known about Bud Powell. Combined with his recordings, especially from the period 1947 to 1953, it is hopefully enough to satisfy the generations as yet unborn who will certainly revere Bud as a great master.

Rating:
Summary: Essential Reading For all Bud Powell Fans
Review: This short work should be read in conjunction or shortly after reading "Dance of the Infidels : A Portrait of Bud Powell -- by Francis Paudras". "The Glass Enclosure" frequently refers to Francis Paudras, as any biography of Bud Powell must. It contains many pictures of Bud that help to understand him better, including several pictures of his common law wife "Buttercup". The book assumes the reader is familiar with the general history of bebop and figures such as Miles Davis, Diz, Monk, Mingus, Clifford Brown, etc. It was originally published in 1993, so this is a reprint. The book can be read in a couple of days. The research done for the book is good in terms of people who were interviewed. Bud was a genius but a very troubled on. This books explains, sometimes to the point of being painful to read, the details of Bud's mental troubles. It leaves one feeling sad but full of wonder at Bud's extraordinary musical powers and the recorded legacy he leaves for current and future generations. These two books are probably the sum total of all that will ever be known about Bud Powell. Combined with his recordings, especially from the period 1947 to 1953, it is hopefully enough to satisfy the generations as yet unborn who will certainly revere Bud as a great master.