Specs Powell
Gordon "Specs" Powell (June 5, 1922 – September 15, 2007) was a jazz drummer and percussionist who began in the swing era. He also worked in the Bebop and Hard bop idioms. Specs was the First Black staff musician hired by CBS in 1943. Born in New York City, a proud Trinidadian, he started out on piano but became exclusively a drummer in the late 1930s. He worked with Edgar Hayes (1939), Benny Carter (1941–42), Ben Webster, and others early in his career. Powell went on to play percussions on The Ed Sullivan Show in the early 1960s. His sole album as a leader, Movin' In (Roulette) was in 1957. He remained active professionally until the 1970s and was honored by the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 2004. |
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Birth and Death Data: Born June 5th, 1922 (New York City), Died September 15th, 2007
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1941
Roles Represented in DAHR: drums
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-067978 | 10-in. | 10/7/1941 | Tweed me | John Kirby Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | BS-067979 | 10-in. | 10/7/1941 | Move over | John Kirby Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
Victor | BS-067980 | 10-in. | 10/7/1941 | Wondering where | Buster Bailey ; John Kirby Orchestra ; Russell Procope ; Charlie Shavers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio | instrumentalist, drums |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Powell, Specs," accessed January 15, 2021, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107318.
Powell, Specs. (2021). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107318.
"Powell, Specs." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2021. Web. 15 January 2021.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Powell, Specs - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n95105567
Wikidata: Specs Powell - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q212165
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/33712052/
MusicBrainz: Specs Powell - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/9cfc8695-6479-46f3-832b-524e93c191e9
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