Without a doubt, demonstrated by his involvement with a number of Bud Powell projects over the years, Corea has been deeply involved with,and inspired by, Powell's music, down to the smallest nuances. Interestingly, Corea does not pay tribute with a "Powellesque" sound, but a very contemporary/free take on Powell classics that is often fresh, sometimes harsh, occasionally beautiful. Fascinating that Corea chose to record a quintet arrangement of the bizarre and disturbing "Mediocre", which Powell himself performed in 1955 (Verve). It is hard to tell if Powell was sick, or the song is ahead of its time. Nevertheless, Corea loves this tune. (He also chose "Mediocre" as one of Powell's best works, in his role as producer of a Powell anthology). The lasting impression, whether you like this Corea recording or not, is that Powell's music is timeless.