From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Thu Feb 27, 2003  1:19 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Jesse Powell
 
JESSE POWELL (By Dave Penny)

Born 27th February 1924, Fort Worth, Texas
Died 19th October 1982, New York City, New York

Jesse Powell was a tenor saxophonist in the grand Texas tradition,
following in the footsteps of Buddy Tate, Arnett Cobb, Illinois Jacquet 
and his idol, Herschel Evans - Count Basie's talented tenor player.
Powell majored in music at Hampton University, turning professional 
upon his graduation in 1942 and scoring a position with Hot Lips Page's
Orchestra. Brief spells with Louis Armstrong and Luis Russell's bands
followed and then, in September 1946, he accepted an offer from Count 
Basie to replace the departing Illinois Jacquet and continue an unbroken 
line of excellent Texas tenors commenced with the late Herschel Evans.

Powell formed his own small group around 1947 which he led in addition 
to accepting a position with Howard McGhee for a spot at the Paris Jazz
Festival in 1948 and during a long tenure with Dizzy Gillespie's bebop 
orchestra in 1949/50. In addition to running with the major players of 
modern jazz, Jesse also fell in with the loose group of regular session 
men utilised by Brownie McGhee and his friends, and appeared on various
blues and jump recordings by McGhee (Alert), Champion Jack Dupree 
(Alert, Apollo), Piney Brown (Apollo), Doc Pomus (Savoy), and others.

During the early 1950s, Jesse and his band were contracted to Federal
Records where he recorded his most famous tracks. Risqué songs in
the jump blues style such as "The Walkin' Blues (Walk Right In, Walk 
Right Out)" and "My Natch'l Man", both sung by Fluffy Hunter, have long
been popular at rock 'n' roll clubs and rockin' weekenders although they
made little impact at the time of release. When the Federal releases dried 
up in 1954, Powell signed to Jerry Blaine's Jubilee/Josie set up and 
enjoyed sporadic releases on both labels - usually in a straight mainstream
jazz style with jump and R&B overtones. One session in 1958, billed as 
The Goofers, a novelty group masterminded by Ben Weisman, was issued
on the new Port subsidiary and resulted in the exotic Head Hunters and the
mock caledonian "Scotch On The Rocks".

Powell's importance to rock 'n' roll will probably always be measured by his
role as a session musician and musical director for dozens of vocal group
recording dates. His main gig during the late 1950s was as the MD and
bandleader to Blaine's most successful group, The Cadillacs, and he can
be heard behind most of that group's Josie recordings - and many other groups
allied to Blaine's labels. Powell also moonlighted at Atlantic Records,
recording behind countless artists, including Ivory Joe Hunter and Solomon Burke, and 
famously soloing on The Bobbettes' Mr Lee. The early 1960s was a struggle
for Jesse and many musicians from his era; occasional work came through 
from Atlantic and he was contracted to cut the odd jazz LP for Tru-Sound and
Kapp, but as the 1960s wore on he was increasingly forgotten and he retired to 
his home in Harlem. He was remembered by veteran NYC guitarist Billy Butler
in 1970 and helped out on the latter's well-received Prestige LP "Night Life"
- including a remake of "Honky Tonk" andd a couple of other old Bill Doggett 
tracks - and shows that his powers were all still at full potency. Sadly he was
never given the opportunity to prove it again.

Recommended listening:
"The Walkin' Blues" and "My Natch'l Man" are available together or individually 
on several "risqué blues" styled compilations from King (KCD 6005/KSCD 1416
& 1419/KCD 6021 & 6022), but Jesse's 1953 session for Federal can be found 
on Westside's great "Groove Station" compilation (WESA 823 from 1999).

The pick of the Jubilee/Josie tracks were peppered across Sequel's 1995 releases
"Jumping At The Jubilee" (NEMCD 749) and "Saxophony" (NEMCD 748) and
Westside's "Titanic" (WESM 539 from 1998).

For later period Powell, Fantasy (through Ace) have issued a fine set called
"Texas Tenors" (Prestige PRCD 24183) featuring the hot "When You're Smiling"
from the Tru-Sound LP and a compilation by Billy Butler called "Legends Of Acid
Jazz" (Prestige PRCD 24197) which includes six of the sides Powell cut with
Butler in 1970.