Dance Of The Infidels: A Portrait Of Bud Powell by Francis Paudras

Listened to Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz from June 19, 2003 today, featuring Bruce Hornsby as her guest, in which they speak briefly about the book DANCE OF THE INFIDELS. It's one of the few episodes that has been released on CD by the Jazz Alliance label.


At one point, they're discussing how Bud Powell introduced a more subtle way of keeping the rhythm with his right hand, and then they play a duet of "Parisian Thouroughfare". Afterward they speak and McPartland says...

MM: "I used to go hear him at Birdland, when we would be at The Hickory House; it was just a quick two minutes across the street and they would let us in for free."

BH: "Well, I'm so envious. Anyone who was there in that fantastic era...that's the great days of BeBop."

MM: "I know. I really feel so lucky to have been there and to have known Bud, and have pictures taken with him. He would come in The Hickory House, I mean; he was a little bit off the wall but... What was that thing of his... "Poco Loco"? Do you do that one?"

(Hornsby takes a stab at the melody)

BH: "Something like that. That's a  fantastic...  I love Bud, as you can see I know a lot of his tunes. That book, The Dance Of The Infidels...it's very moving, it's really a sad book. It really affected me."

MM: "Well you know that guy who wrote the book..."

BH:  "Did you know him? Francis Paudras; however you says his name..."

MM: "I did know him. And he...It's so awful; he committed suicide."

BH: "Yeah okay, what was the...problem there..."

MM: "He just ran out of...he seemed to suddenly run out of money and friends; and all the people he thought were going to help him didn't...and it was like he was at the end of his rope. He just... It was a shame, the guy was brilliant! I mean, to write a book like that, and to help Bud the way he did... It was... That's a fantastic book and everyone should have that translated into English... I've got the French version."

BH: "I think so too, yeah. Me too; I have the French and the English. I took six years of French and I can read about every third word...unfortunately."

MM: "Well, good for you. Not I, but ... just HAVING that book means an awful lot to me."

BH: "Yeah, me too."


They move on to other topics from there, but I though perhaps it would be nice to promote this book which they seem to adore and value so highly. Though they don't discuss it, this book is also the inspiration for the 1986 film 'ROUND MIDNIGHT.

Amazon sells it HERE.