Dirk Powell (born 1969) is an American fiddler, banjo player, and singer. Powell was born in Oberlin, Ohio into a family with deep Kentucky roots. He has lived in Louisiana since 1992. He is considered one of the world's leading experts on traditional Appalachian fiddle and

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

styles. Powell is also a recording engineer and producer, with his own studio, the Cypress House, in Breaux Bridge, near

Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette (, ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the most populous city and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, located along the Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's fourth largest incorporated municipality by population and the 234 ...

. The studio is in a converted 1850s Louisiana Creole home on Bayou Teche and focuses on vintage gear and audio.. Powell has won four

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

and has been a guest on American television shows including ''

Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production company ...

'', ''

the Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It ...

'', and ''

American Masters ''American Masters'' is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and those who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the ...

''. For ten years, he was Joan Baez's "band." He was a longtime member of the Cajun band Balfa Toujours. Currently, he is performing as a solo artist, as a featured artist with

Transatlantic Sessions Transatlantic Sessions is the collective title for a series of musical productions by Glasgow-based Pelicula Films Ltd, funded by- and produced for BBC Scotland, BBC Four and RTÉ of Ireland. The productions comprise collaborative live performan ...

, on tour with

Mary Chapin Carpenter Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also ca ...

, and as a duo wit
Rainy Eyes
Powell has recorded with

Rhiannon Giddens Rhiannon Giddens (born February 21, 1977) is an American musician. She is a founding member of the country, blues and old-time music band the Carolina Chocolate Drops, where she is the lead singer, fiddle player, and banjo player. Giddens ...

Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Ma ...

Irma Thomas Irma Thomas ( Lee; born February 18, 1941) is an American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans". Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial succ ...

, Tim O'Brien, the Raconteurs on their record “Consolers of the Lonely,” and Eric Clapton. Powell has worked on or scored numerous films over the years, including Cold Mountain, In the Electric Mist, Stevie, and Ride with the Devil. He recently collaborated on the score for Sundance award-winning documentar
Descendant

Discography

* ''If I Go Ten Thousand Miles'' ( Rounder, 1996) * ''Songs from the Mountain'' ( Howdy Skies, 1999) * ''Tony Furtado & Dirk Powell'' (Rounder, 1999) * ''Hand Me Down'' (Rounder, 1999) * ''Time Again'' (Rounder, 2004) * ''A Fret Free Christmas'' ( Valcour, 2010) * ''Walking Through Clay'' ( Sugar Hill/

Welk Music Group Welk Music Group is an American record company comprising Ranwood Records. It was founded by Lawrence Welk and is still owned by the Welk Family. The company evolved from when Welk's Teleklew Productions acquired Harry Von Tilzer Music in 1957. ...

, 2014) * ''I Wanna Sing Right: Rediscovering Lomax in the Evangeline Country'' four-EP set - various artists (Valcour Records, 2015) * ''Cajun Accordion Kings (and the Queen)'' various artists (Valcour Records, 2015) * ''When I Wait for You'' (Vertical, 2020) See also Balfa Toujours.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Dirk American male composers 21st-century American composers American banjoists American folk singers American record producers American male songwriters Grammy Award winners Appalachian music Appalachian culture Living people 21st-century American male musicians People from Oberlin, Ohio 1969 births