APRIL 23

                      BUD POWELL
          At the Golden Circle
               Gyllene Cirkeln, Stockholm

                 
                  Recording Date:
                      April 23, 1962

                  Personnel:
                     Bud Powell              P,Vo 
                     Torbjorn Hultcrantz  B
                     Sune Spangberg        D

                 








Review by Scott Yanow

The fourth of five CDs taken from two nights that Bud Powell performed at Stockholm's Golden Circle, has repeats of some tunes from the earlier date (April 19) but the playing is completely different. Accompanied by bassist Torbjorn Hultcrantz and drummer Sune Spangberg), Powell generally sounds in pretty good form for the period with the highlights including "Moose the Mooche," "Blues in the Closet" and Powell's own "John's Abbey." The fifth and final CD from pianist Bud Powell's 1962 stay at the Golden Circle in Stockholm has as its high points versions of "52nd Street Theme" and "Straight No Chaser" (the latter lasts 20 minutes); on the minus side is a throwaway (and off-mike) Powell vocal on "This Is No Laughin' Matter." On a whole, this series is as essential as the Blue Notes but has its strong moments and is worth picking up by lovers of bop piano and the troubled but brilliant Bud Powell.