Benny Powell


Benjamin Gordon Powell Jr. was an American jazz trombonist. He played both standard trombone and bass trombone.

Biography

Born Benjamin Gordon Powell Jr. in New Orleans, Louisiana, he first played professionally at the age of 14, and at 18 began playing with Lionel Hampton. In 1951 he left Hampton's band and began playing with Count Basie, in whose orchestra he would remain until 1963. Powell takes the trombone solo in the bridge of Basie's 1955 recording of "April in Paris".
After leaving Basie, he freelanced in New York City. From 1966 to 1970 he was a member of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, playing on Monday nights at the Village Vanguard. Among other engagements, he played in the house band of the Merv Griffin Show, and when the show moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1970 Powell also relocated there. He did extensive work as a session musician, including with Abdullah Ibrahim, John Carter, and Randy Weston. Later in his career Powell worked as an educator, including as part of the Jazzmobile project. Having moved back to New York in the 1980s, he began teaching at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in 1994.
He died in a Manhattan hospital at the age of 80, following back surgery.

Personal

Powell married Evelyn Jackson at St. Bernard Catholic Church in New York in 1958.

Discography

As leader

Coast to Coast The Gift of Love

As sideman

With Pepper AdamsPepper Adams Plays the Compositions of Charlie Mingus
With Gene AmmonsFree Again
With Count BasieThe Count! Basie Jazz Dance Session Dance Session Album #2 Basie Joe Williams Sings with Joe WilliamsApril in Paris The Greatest!! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards with Joe WilliamsMetronome All-Stars 1956 with Ella Fitzgerald and Joe WilliamsHall of Fame Basie in London One O'Clock Jump with Joe Williams and Ella FitzgeraldCount Basie at Newport The Atomic Mr. Basie aka Basie and E=MC2Basie Plays Hefti Sing Along with Basie with Joe Williams and Lambert, Hendricks & RossBasie One More Time Breakfast Dance and Barbecue Everyday I Have the Blues - with Joe WilliamsDance Along with Basie String Along with Basie Not Now, I'll Tell You When The Count Basie Story Kansas City Suite The Legend Back with Basie Basie in Sweden On My Way & Shoutin' Again! This Time by Basie! More Hits of the 50's and 60's
With Donald ByrdJazz Lab with Gigi Gryce
With Benny Carter
With John CarterCastles of Ghana Dance of the Love Ghosts Fields Shadows on a Wall Gramavision, 1989)
With [Buck ClaytonHow Hi the Fi
With Hank CrawfordMr. Blues Plays Lady Soul
With DameroniaLook Stop Listen Live at the Theatre Boulogne-Billancourt Paris
With Frank Foster
With Al GreyThe Last of the Big Plungers The Thinking Man’s Trombone
With Eddie HarrisSilver Cycles How Can You Live Like That?
With Jimmy HeathNew Picture Little Man Big Band
With Johnny HodgesTriple Play
With J. J. JohnsonThe Total J.J. Johnson
With Clifford JordanPlay What You Feel
With Bobby Bland and B.B. KingBobby Bland and B. B. King Together Again...Live
with Melba ListonMelba Liston and Her 'Bones
With Herbie MannGlory of Love
With Les McCannComment
With David NewmanBigger & Better The Many Facets of David Newman
With Joe NewmanThe Count's Men Salute to Satch
With Chico O'FarrillNine Flags
With Moacir SantosSaudade
With Frank WessNorth, South, East....Wess
With Randy WestonSpirits of Our Ancestors Volcano Blues Saga Khepera Spirit! The Power of Music Live in St. Lucia
With Gerald WilsonNew York, New Sound