Photo: Distributed by the Gale Agency in New York. Photographer uncredited and unknown. / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
To me, Bud Powell is one of those rare figures who didn't just play an instrument but rebuilt how it could be heard. Translating the lightning-fast logic of bebop onto the piano demanded both technical fearlessness and a singular musical imagination, and he had both. What moves me most is how his vocabulary became the foundation for generations after him, from Toshiko Akiyoshi to Barry Harris. His life was painfully short, and you can hear that fragility and intensity wrestling inside the music. I find his recordings electrifying precisely because they feel like genius caught mid-spark, never settled, always reaching.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Bud Powell
- Name (Japanese)
- バド・パウエル
- Reading
- ばど・ぱうえる
- Born
- September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Rat
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- pianist / jazz musician / composer / recording artist / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- DeWitt Clinton High School
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Bud Powell born?
September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966.
Where is Bud Powell from?
Bud Powell is from New York City, New York, United States.
What does Bud Powell do?
Bud Powell works as pianist, jazz musician, composer, recording artist, musician.
Pianist — see all → · Jazz musician — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.