Mel Powell’s 1940s leader dates

[ghost of miles]

I’m going to make a CD-R (or two) of all of pianist Mel Powell’s recordings as a leader in the 1940s. I don’t own any discographies and can’t find one for Powell online—what recordings, if any, did he make under his own name in addition to the 17 for Commodore and the 12 for Capitol in this era? I’m also going to include the four solo piano sides he made in Paris in 1945, which are on the CD Glenn Miller’s G.I.s in Paris. (For those interested in Powell, the Commodores are all included on two of Mosaic’s three Commodore sets, and the Capitol sides are part of Mosaic’s Capitol Jazz collection. Ocium has put out a CD that compiles some of the Commodore and Capitol tracks, as well as a handful with Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller’s AAF, plus the solo Paris recordings.)

Edited July 4, 2020 by ghost of miles

[Big Beat Steve]

Bruyninckx also lists quite a few broadcast recordings by Mel Powell small groups from July to December 1944 (that were issued mainly on Phontastic NOST7649 and on Esquire E316) as well as more than just 4 tracks from Paris in 1945.

Edited July 4, 2020 by Big Beat Steve

[Jim Duckworth]

The four band tracks from Paris 1945 are here in good sound.

[ghost of miles]

15 minutes ago, Big Beat Steve said:

Bruyninckx also lists quite a few broadcast recordings by Mel Powell small groups from July to December 1944 (that were issued mainly on Phontastic NOST7649 and on Esquire E316) as well as more than just 4 tracks from Paris in 1945.

Thanks BBS! Almost certainly the small group he led as part of Glenn Miller’s AAF. I think I have some of them as part of the numerous AAF compilations I’ve picked up over the years.  Powell’s group was the nod-to-modernists part of Miller’s hydraheaded outfit... there’s even a broadcast of them doing one of the earliest versions of “Night in Tunisia!”

Edited July 4, 2020 by ghost of miles

[JSngry]

Trust me when I tell you that if/when you decide to look into Powell's post-Jazz compositional work, finding all the jazz dates will look like floating with water wings by comparison...but that's ok, because a lot of it is on multiple-composer records, so hey, even MORE exposure to new/unfamiliar music, none of it uninteresting some of significantly better than that!

 

 

[ghost of miles]

49 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Trust me when I tell you that if/when you decide to look into Powell's post-Jazz compositional work, finding all the jazz dates will look like floating with water wings by comparison...but that's ok, because a lot of it is on multiple-composer records, so hey, even MORE exposure to new/unfamiliar music, none of it uninteresting some of significantly better than that!

 

 

Thanks for this! I’ve long contemplated doing a Powell Night Lights program, and his post-jazz classical work would certainly be a part of the conversation. (As would his post-1950 jazz recordings... the Vanguards and perhaps the 1987 Return Of Mel Powell date—though I’ve listened to the latter only once and don’t recall it being particularly memorable. Will have to give it another listen if/when I undertake a show. OTOH I might opt to frame it entirely within the 1940s, given his body of work with Goodman and the AAF, and the relative lack of exposure for his Commodore and Capitol recordings.)

Edited July 4, 2020 by ghost of miles

[T.D.]

56 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Trust me when I tell you that if/when you decide to look into Powell's post-Jazz compositional work, finding all the jazz dates will look like floating with water wings by comparison...but that's ok, because a lot of it is on multiple-composer records, so hey, even MORE exposure to new/unfamiliar music, none of it uninteresting some of significantly better than that!...

 

 

This is badass:

Edited July 4, 2020 by T.D.

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, ghost of miles said:

I’ve long contemplated doing a Powell Night Lights program, and his post-jazz classical work would certainly be a part of the conversation.

Here's a conversation!

 

[ghost of miles]

Here's another!

 

[JSngry]

Nice!