Bud Powell’s friend and mentor Thelonious Monk was called the “High Priest of Bebop,” but there was a reason Powell (and his breathtaking piano runs at light-speed tempos) played the legendary Massey Hall concert in 1953 alongside Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Charles Mingus. The three also pass through this album individually, as do Roy Haynes, Oscar Pettiford, and others. Taken from weekly radio recordings done at Birdland, this collection (all previously released but now remastered) culls material from 14 live sets between February and September. A famously erratic performer, Powell was in good form here—after two years in hospitals and sanitariums, this was his busiest year as a live performer. The regular work let him regain his early chops, and he positively flies on several fine versions of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” as well as his own “Dance of the Infidels” and “Budo.” While some parts of this collection are a few tunes from a set, there are also excellent full sets that offer their own insight into how Powell put songs together.