This month we celebrate the centenary of the birth of possibly the most influential jazz pianist of all time, Bud Powell. It's no exaggeration to say he revolutionised the way the instrument was played. He essentially redefined the entire approach to jazz piano in the mid 1940s, emphasizing rapid single-note runs along with sparing use of his left hand; what is now the standard "vocabulary" of most jazz piano playing. Powell, alas, had a tragic life plagued by racist violence, injury, institutionalisation and addiction. He, along with many of his contemporaries, left the USA for France where their art would be respected and they would not be subject to constant racial descrimination. Bertrand Tavernier's Oscar winning masterpiece "Round Midnight" (one of my top 5 movies of all time) is based on his story. The title for this piece is from one of his compositions released on the 1964 album "the Invisible Cage", regarded as his last worthwile recording before his declining health robbed him of his skill.