Hallucinations is Bud Powell’s fiery bebop instrumental, a showcase of rapid melodies and angular harmonies drawn from Powell’s personal struggles. Powell first recorded it in 1951, and it appears on The Genius of Bud Powell (1956) as a core example of his bebop prowess. The tune features restless melodic lines, chromatic twists, and tense, unresolved harmonies that propel the piece with relentless energy. It sits squarely in the bebop genre and is celebrated as a vehicle for virtuosic piano improvisation. Miles Davis’s Budo, written as a tribute to Powell, appears on Birth of the Cool (1957) and embodies a contrasting cool jazz approach with restraint and lush textures. Over the years the tune has been reinterpreted by many artists, including George Shearing in Rare Form! (1966), Bobby McFerrin in his 1982 self titled debut with a wordless rendition, Keith Jarrett in Whisper Not (1999), Oscar Peterson on At the Concertgebouw (1958), Hank Jones and Joe Lovano on Kids: Live at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola (2007), and Kenny Barron on Images (2005). These versions illustrate how jazz standards travel through eras and styles, remaining living works that musicians continuously reshape.
