Stop for Bud (1963)

• 67%
• 1963
• Documentary
• Music
• Ole John
• Jørgen Leth
• Jens Jørgen Thorsen
• Bud Powell
• Dexter Gordon
• Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen

Stop for Bud is an experimental portrait of the American jazz pianist Bud Powell. The film was shot by a sometimes moving camera in contrast-poor black and white, with a slightly dreamy tone as the celebrated pianist proceeded through Copenhagen locations such as Kongens Have (a park), a dockside and a rubbish dump. The picture compositions are often untraditional, such as the introductory tilt that shows the pianist from his feet upwards, an extreme bird's eye view in a factory-like setting or a hand-held travelling shot that follows Powell's legs on a stroll. The editing does not pretend to create a clear thread through the material but may be seen as a loose juxtaposition of a series of images or situations. The film also includes a concert scene from the Montmartre jazz club in which Powell's face and fingers are studied from a series of beautiful, dark angles as he plays, but without synchronous sound. We hear Bud Powell playing on the soundtrack and at the beginning and end of the film Dexter Gordon tells a couple of stories about Powell and his innovative impact on jazz.