When I sat down to record George Shearing’s jazz standard “Conception” for the KeyboardImprov YouTube channel, I immediately felt something different than when I play some other bebop tunes, even those I know really well. After a moment, I realized what it was: “Conception” was possibly the very first Bud Powell recording I ever heard, when I was a teenager just getting into jazz piano.
I had a 2-record set called Masters of Modern Piano, and when I dropped the needle on Track 1, I heard the sounds of Powell grooving on George Shearing’s tune “Conception.” (Decades later, Keith Jarrett recorded it too.)
The music we hear early on stays with us in a deep way. For me, this also includes Elton John’s “Your Song,” Bela Bartok’s “Concerto For Orchestra,” and “Close To The Edge” by YES.
Here’s my revisitation of “Conception:”
Conception: Journey Through The Real Book #69
What music did you hear early on?
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