Seldon Powell (November 15, 1928 – January 25, 1997) was an American
tenor saxophonist and
flautist
The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
whose work spanned multiple genres, including
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
.
Background
Powell worked with
Tab Smith (1949),
Lucky Millinder
Lucius Venable "Lucky" Millinder (August 8, 1910 – September 28, 1966) was an American swing music, swing and rhythm and blues, rhythm-and-blues bandleader. Although he could not read or write music, did not play an instrument and rarely sang ...
(1949–51),
Neal Hefti,
Louis Bellson, and
Jimmy Witherspoon
James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues and jazz singer.
Early life, family and education
Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, an ...
.
During the 1960s, he ventured into the
soul jazz idiom and worked with
Clark Terry,
Lou Donaldson
Louis Andrew Donaldson Jr. (November 1, 1926 – November 9, 2024) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. He was best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was he ...
,
Johnny "Hammond" Smith
John Robert "Johnny Hammond" Smith (December 16, 1933 – June 4, 1997) was an American soul jazz and hard bop organist. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was a renowned player of the Hammond B-3 organ so earning "Hammond" as a nickname, wh ...
, and
Buddy Rich.
Discography
As leader
* ''Sedon Powell Plays'' (Roost 1955
956 reissued by Roulette, 1973))
* ''Seldon Powell featuring
Jimmy Cleveland'' (Roost, 1956)
* ''Rhythm Plus One'' (Fresh Sound, 1956
984 LP reissue of selections from the above)
* ''At the Hop'' (PMI)
* ''Messin' with Seldon Powell'' (Encounter, 1973)
As sideman
With
Tony Aless
*''Long Island Suite'' (Roost, 1955)
With
Mose Allison
*''
Hello There, Universe'' (Atlantic, 1970)
With
Albert Ayler
*''
New Grass'' (Impulse!, 1968)
With
Chet Baker
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool".
Baker earned much attention and ...
*''
Baker's Holiday'' (Limelight, 1965)
With
Gato Barbieri
*''Chapter Three, Viva Emiliano Zapata'' (Impulse!, 1974)
With
Aaron Bell
*''Music from Peter Gunn'' (Lion, 1959)
*''Music from Victory at Sea'' (Lion, 1959)
With
Louis Bellson
*''
The Driving Louis Bellson'' (Norgran, 1955)
With
Billy Butler
*''
Guitar Soul!'' (Prestige, 1969)
With
Anthony Braxton
Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Chi ...
*''
Creative Orchestra Music 1976'' (Arista, 1976)
With
Rusty Bryant
*''
Until It's Time for You to Go'' (Prestige, 1974)
With
Charlie Byrd
*''
Byrd at the Gate'' (Riverside, 1963)
With
Hank Crawford
Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American alto saxophonist, pianist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was musical director for ...
* ''
Mr. Blues Plays Lady Soul'' (Atlantic, 1969)
With
Bobby Donaldson
*''Jazz Unlimited'' (Golden Crest, 1960)
With
Charles Earland
*''
Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.
Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...
'' (Prestige, 1973)
With
Art Farmer
Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, doub ...
*''
The Aztec Suite'' (United Artists, 1959)
With
Jimmy Forrest
*''
Soul Street'' (New Jazz, 1962)
With
Ronnie Foster
Ronnie Foster (born May 12, 1950) is an American funk and soul jazz organist, and record producer. His albums recorded for Blue Note Records in the 1970s have gained a cult following after the emergence of acid jazz.
Early life
Foster was born ...
*''
Sweet Revival
''Sweet Revival'' is the second album by American organist Ronnie Foster recorded in 1972 and released on the Blue Note Records, Blue Note label. '' (Blue Note, 1972)
With
Panama Francis
David Albert "Panama" Francis (December 21, 1918 – November 13, 2001) was an American swing jazz drummer who played on numerous hit recordings in the 1950s.
Early life
Francis was born in Miami, Florida, on December 21, 1918. His father was ...
*''The beat behind million sellers'' (ABC, 1960)
*''Tough Talk'' (20th Century Fox, 1964)
With
Friedrich Gulda
*''Friedrich Gulda at Birdland'' (RCA Victor, 1957)
*''A Man of Letters'' (Decca, 1957)
With
Eddie Harris
Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 – November 5, 1996) was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ. His best-k ...
*''
Silver Cycles
''Silver Cycles'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Eddie Harris recorded in 1968 and released on the Atlantic Records, Atlantic label. '' (Atlantic, 1968)
With
Neal Hefti
*''Hot'n Hearty'' (Epic, 1955)
With
Groove Holmes
*''
Night Glider'' (Groove Merchant, 1973)
With
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...
*''
Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini
''Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini'' is an album by Quincy Jones that contains music composed by Henry Mancini.
Track listing
All music composed by Henry Mancini, lyricists indicated
# "Baby Elephant Walk" – 2:49
# "Charade ( ...
'' (Mercury, 1964)
*''
Quincy Plays for Pussycats'' (Mercury, 1965)
With
Rufus "Speedy" Jones
*''
Five on Eight'' (Cameo)
With
Looking Glass
*''
Subway Serenade'' (Epic, 1973)
With
Ahmed Abdul-Malik
*''
Spellbound'' (Status, 1964)
With
Arif Mardin
*''
Journey'' (Atlantic, 1974)
With
Les McCann
*''
Les McCann Plays the Hits'' (Limelight, 1966)
*''
Comment'' (Atlantic, 1970)
*''
Another Beginning'' (Atlantic, 1974)
With
Jack McDuff
Eugene McDuffy (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader. He was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz ...
*''
The Fourth Dimension'' (Cadet, 1974)
With
Gary McFarland
*''
Soft Samba'' (Verve, 1963)
With
Jimmy McGriff
James Harrell McGriff (April 3, 1936 – May 24, 2008) was an American hard bop and soul-jazz organist and organ trio bandleader.
Biography Early years and influences
Born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McGriff started playing pia ...
*''
The Big Band'' (Solid State, 1966)
With
Blue Mitchell
*''
Many Shades of Blue'' (Mainstream, 1974)
With
Modern Jazz Quartet
The Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) was a jazz combo established in 1952 that played music influenced by classical music, classical, cool jazz, blues and bebop. The Quartet consisted of John Lewis (pianist), John Lewis (piano), Milt Jackson (vibraphon ...
*''
Jazz Dialogue'' (Atlantic, 1965)
With
David "Fathead" Newman
*''
Bigger & Better'' (Atlantic, 1968)
With
Chico O'Farrill
*''
Nine Flags'' (Impulse!, 1966)
With
Sy Oliver
*''Annie Laurie'' (Sesac, 1960)
*''Easy Walker'' (Sesac, 1962)
With
Jimmy Owens
*''
Headin' Home'' (A&M/Horizon, 1978)
With
Oliver Nelson
Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signi ...
*''
The Spirit of '67'' with
Pee Wee Russell (Impulse!, 1967)
With
Reuben Phillips
*''Manhattan...3 a.m.'' (Poplar, 1960)
With
Bernard Purdie
Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American drummer, and an influential R&B, soul, funk and jazz musician. He is known for his precise time-keeping and his signature use of Tuplet, triplets against a half-time backbeat: the P ...
*''
Soul Drums'' (Date, 1967)
*''
Stand by Me (Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get)'' (Mega, 1971)
*''
Soul Is... Pretty Purdie'' (Flying Dutchman, 1972)
With
Buddy Rich
*''The Driver'' (EmArcy, 1960)
With
Willie Rodriguez
*''Flatjacks'' (Riverside, 1964)
With
A. K. Salim
*''
Blues Suite'' (Savoy, 1958)
With
Eddie Sauter
*''The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra – Directions in Music'' (RCA, 1952–58)
With
Johnny "Hammond" Smith
John Robert "Johnny Hammond" Smith (December 16, 1933 – June 4, 1997) was an American soul jazz and hard bop organist. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he was a renowned player of the Hammond B-3 organ so earning "Hammond" as a nickname, wh ...
*''
Black Coffee'' (Riverside, 1962)
*''
Look Out!'' (New Jazz, 1962)
*''
Open House!'' (Riverside, 1963)
With
Leon Spencer
*''
Where I'm Coming From'' (Prestige, 1973)
With
Sonny Stitt
Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his era, recording over ...
*''
Sonny Stitt Plays Arrangements from the Pen of Quincy Jones'' (Roost, 1955)
*''
I Keep Comin' Back!'' (Roulette, 1966)
With
Billy Taylor
*''
Billy Taylor with Four Flutes'' (Riverside, 1959)
*''Brazilian Beat'' (Sesac, 1963)
With
Clark Terry
*''
Color Changes'' (Candid, 1960)
*''What makes Sammy swing'' (20th Century Fox, 1963)
*''Tread Ye Lightly'' (Cameo, 1963)
With
Joe Thomas
*''
Joy of Cookin''' (Groove Merchant, 1972)
With
Teri Thornton
*''
Devil May Care'' (Riverside, 1961)
With
Cal Tjader
Callen Radcliffe Tjader Jr. ( ; July 16, 1925 – May 5, 1982) was an American Latin Jazz musician, often described as the most successful non-Latino Latin music (genre), Latin musician. He explored other jazz idioms, especially small group mod ...
*''
Warm Wave'' (Verve, 1964)
*''
Soul Burst'' (Verve, 1966)
With
Ernie Wilkins
*''The Big New Band of the 60's'' (Everest, 1960)
With
Jimmy Witherspoon
James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues and jazz singer.
Early life, family and education
Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, an ...
*''
Goin' to Kansas City Blues'' (RCA Victor, 1958) with
Jay McShann
With
Galt MacDermot
* ''La Novela'' (Kilmarnock, 1971)
* ''The Sun Always Shines for the Cool'' (Kilmarnock, 1972)
* ''Dude – The Highway Life'' (Kilmarnock, 1972)
* ''Take This Bread'' (Kilmarnock, 1973)
* ''The Joker of Seville'' (Kilmarnock, 1974)
* ''HAIR Movie Soundtrack'' (Kilmarnock, 1979)
* ''New Pulse Jazz Band'' ''– Uncle Shout'' (Kilmarnock, 1979)
* ''New Pulse Jazz Band'' ''– Pulse On!!'' (Kilmarnock, 1981)
* ''The Human Comedy'' (Kilmarnock, 1982)
* ''New Pulse Jazz Band – New Pulse III'' (Kilmarnock, (1983)
* ''New Pulse Jazz Band – Boogie Man'' (Kilmarnock, 1985)
* ''New Pulse Jazz Band – Lost Conquest'' (Kilmarnock, 1986)
* ''The Solo Genius of Seldon Powell'' (Kilmarnock, 2017)
* ''Ah! New York (Instrumental)'' – (Kilmarnock, 2024)
References
External links
* Discogs
Seldon Powell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Seldon
1928 births
1997 deaths
American jazz saxophonists
American male saxophonists
American jazz flautists
Soul-jazz flautists
Swing flautists
Soul-jazz saxophonists
Swing saxophonists
American rhythm and blues musicians
People from Lawrenceville, Virginia
20th-century American saxophonists
Jazz musicians from Virginia
20th-century American male musicians
American male jazz musicians
20th-century American flautists
Stang Records artists
Shirley & Company members