Born Earl Powell on September 27, 1924 in Harlem, New York, the jazz/bebop
pianist and composer is better known by his nickname Bud Powell. He was a
leading figure in bebop alongside Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and
Thelonious Monk. His compositions and recordings are now considered some of the
most influential in jazz history. However, Powell dealt with mental issues and
alcoholism over the course of his career, which alienated him from some of his
jazz contemporaries including Charlie Parker. As a child, Powell was influenced
by his pianist father and began to study classic...