JazzTimes is honored to present the premiere of “In Walked Bud” by vocalist Luba Mason. The track—originally composed by Thelonious Monk in honor of his friend and fellow pianist Bud Powell, with lyrics added later by Jon Hendricks—will appear on Mason’s fourth solo album Triangle, to be released by Blue Canoe Records on October 23.
The lineup here is a simple and unusual trio: Mason on voice, Joe Locke on vibraphone, and James Genus on bass. The music was recorded live at the PowerStation at BerkleeNYC and produced by Renato Neto (a longtime collaborator with Prince) and Mason.
“Because I had a couple of jazz heavyweights playing on this album,” Mason says, “I was looking for a fun classic that we could all play around with. I was listening to some Eddie Jefferson and Jon Hendricks and pow! … Monk’s tune ‘In Walked Bud’ jumped right out at me and I knew this was the one!”
Until the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York, Mason was performing on Broadway in Conor McPherson’s musical Girl from the North Country, which features the music of Bob Dylan. The classically trained singer, pianist, and actor has graced the stages of international jazz festivals, major U.S. jazz clubs, and Jazz at Lincoln Center alongside her husband Rubén Blades and Wynton Marsalis. She has also performed and recorded with Al Jarreau, Hubert Laws, Randy Brecker, Jimmy Haslip, and many more.
For further information on Luba Mason, visit her website.
