"Parisian Thoroughfare" is one of his gentlest compositions--"a Schubert tune with a Gershwin touch,'' in the words of a famous Ellington lyric--and his playing takes on an impressionist shimmer, before settling into unadulterated bop for the solo. Later in 1951, Powell would be back in a mental institution

At 6 p.m. today, I will be hosting this month’s silent reading party in the Fireside Room at the Sorrento Hotel. The theme will be jazz and urbanism. There will be gentle jazz piano by Darrius Willrich (Bud Powell was a jazz pianist). There will be an air of urbanism provided by the urbanists Cary Moon and Lead Pencil Studio (Bud Powell spent some time in the city of cities, Paris). The drink special will be Maker’s Mark Manhattans for $4 (Bud Powell was a dazzling alcoholic). Sadly there will be no Bud Powell (he died in 1966). But his “Parisian Thoroughfare” is eternally beautiful…

Parisian Thoroughfare is one of his gentlest compositions--a Schubert tune with a Gershwin touch, in the words of a famous Ellington lyric--and his playing takes on an impressionist shimmer, before settling into unadulterated bop for the solo. Later in 1951, Powell would be back in a mental institution

  • “Parisian Thoroughfare” is one of his gentlest compositions—”a Schubert tune with a Gershwin touch,” in the words of a famous Ellington lyric—and his playing takes on an impressionist shimmer, before settling into unadulterated bop for the solo. Later in 1951, Powell would be back in a mental institution…

The reading party, which happens every first Wednesday of the month, begins at 6:00 p.m. and ends around 8:00 p.m..

Charles Mudede—who writes about film, books, music, and his life in Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, the USA, and the UK for The Stranger—was born near a steel plant in Kwe Kwe, Zimbabwe. He has no memory...

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