Gordon "Specs" Powell
Drums, Vibraphone
Redirected from 'Specs Powell'.| Label | Issue | Format | Artist | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aamco | ALP308 | |||
| Ace | CDCHD457 | CD | Wynonie Harris | Women, Whisky & Fish Tails |
| - | CDCHD502 | - | Sticks McGhee | New York Blues |
| - | CDCHD843 | - | Wynonie Harris | Lovin' Machine |
| - | CDCHD1051 | - | Various Artists | King Rock 'n' Roll, Vol. 2 |
| - | CDCHD1197 | - | Joe Tex | Get Way Back: The 1950s Recordings |
| Audio Lab | AL1520 | LP | Sticks McGhee | Highway of Blues |
| Bethlehem | BCP67 | - | Charlie Shavers with Maxine Sullivan | |
| De Luxe | 6124 | single | Herb Lance | Drifting waters / Close your eyes |
| Gusto | GD5040-X | |||
| Jazztone | J1229 | - | - | - |
| Kent | CDKEND210 | CD | Various Artists | King New Breed Rhythm & Blues |
| King | 4668 | single | Wynonie Harris | Please Louise / Nearer my love to Thee |
| - | 4672 | - | Sticks McGhee | Dealing from the bottom / Jungle juice |
| - | 4685 | - | Wynonie Harris | Quiet whiskey / Down boy down |
| - | 4700 | - | Sticks McGhee | I'm doin' all this time (and you put me down) / The wiggle waggle woo |
| - | 4822 | - | Bubber Johnson | Come home / There'll be no one |
| - | 4824 | - | Earl "Connelly" King | I get so happy / Someone who cares |
| - | 4840 | - | Joe Tex | Come in this house / Davy you upset my home |
| - | 4878 | - | Big John Greer | Record hop / Keep on loving me |
| - | 4884 | - | Joe Tex | My biggest mistake / Right back to my arms |
| - | 4885 | - | Babs Gonzales | House rent party / She's just right for me |
| - | 4889 | - | Earl Connelly King | Big blue diamonds / Dear one |
| - | 4911 | - | Joe Tex | I had to come back to you / She's mine |
| - | 4920 | - | Earl Connelly King | Look me in the eyes / That's all I ask of you |
| - | 4939 | - | Bubber Johnson | Have a little faith in me / My lonely heart |
| - | 4980 | - | Joe Tex | Pneumonia / Get away back |
| - | 5014 | - | Bubber Johnson | Butterfly / Too many hearts |
| - | 5034 | - | - | Little girl don't cry / The search |
| - | 5064 | - | Joe Tex | Ain't nobody's business / I want to have a talk with you |
| - | 5670 | - | Earl Connelly King | Don't take it so hard / Big blue diamonds |
| - | LP569 | LP | Bubber Johnson | Come Home |
| - | LP624 | - | - | Bubber Johnson sings Sweet Love Songs |
| - | LP627 | - | Various Artists | Battle of the Blues, Volume 2 - Roy Brown vs. Wynonie Harris |
| - | LP792 | - | - | Forgotten Million Sellers |
| - | LP875 | - | - | Everybody's Favorite Blues |
| - | LP935 | - | Joe Tex | |
| - | LP960 | - | Mister Johnson (Bubber Johnson) | 24 Great Songs |
| - | LP1026 | - | Various Artists | 18 All Time Rhythm 'n' Blues Hits |
| - | LP1086 | - | Wynonie Harris | Good Rockin' Blues |
| King Oldies | 15031 | single | Earl "Connelly" King | Don't take it so hard / Big blue diamonds |
| Parlophone | 45R4259 | - | Bubber Johnson | Have a little faith in me / Confidential |
| Period | SPL302 | |||
| - | SPL304 | - | - | - |
| - | SPL1113 | - | - | - |
| Polydor | 2343048 | LP | Wynonie Harris | Jump Blues: Wynonie Harris / Eddie Vinson |
| President | PRC64 | EP | Bubber Johnson | |
| Rhino | R2-71544 | CD | Wynonie Harris | Bloodshot Eyes: The Best of Wynonie Harris |
| Route 66 | KIX-20 | LP | - | Oh, babe! (further titles not from King labels) |
| Westside | WESF103 | CD | Various Artists | Mule Milk 'N' Firewater |
| - | WESA801 | - | - | Mark Lamarr's Roc-King up a Storm |
| Leader | Site | Date | Session | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babs Gonzales | New York, NY | January 12, 1956 | [session] | drums |
| Big John Greer | - | January 5, 1956 | [session] | vibraphone |
| Bubber Johnson | - | July 15, 1955 | [session] | drums |
| - | - | January 9, 1957 | [session] | - |
| Earl Connelly King | - | July 12, 1955 | [session] | - |
| Herb Lance | - | February 26, 1957 | [session] | - |
| Joe Tex | - | September, 1955 | [session] | - |
| - | - | January 12, 1956 | [session] | - |
| - | - | January 21, 1956 | [session] | - |
| - | - | September 5, 1956 | [session] | - |
| - | - | May 29, 1957 | [session] | - |
| Maxine Sullivan | - | 1956 | [session] | - |
| Sticks McGhee | - | September 2, 1953 | [session] | - |
| Wynonie Harris | - | September 11, 1953 | [session] | - |
Gordon "Specs" Powell (June 5, 1922 – September 15, 2007) was a jazz drummer and percussionist who began in the swing era. He also worked in the Bebop and Hard bop idioms.
Specs was the First Black staff musician hired by CBS in 1943. Born in New York City, a proud Trinidadian, he started out on piano but became exclusively a drummer in the late 1930s. He worked with Edgar Hayes (1939), Benny Carter (1941–42), Ben Webster, and others early in his career.
Powell went on to play percussions on The Ed Sullivan Show in the early 1960s. His sole album as a leader, Movin' In (Roulette) was in 1957. He remained active professionally until the 1970s and was honored by the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 2004. Wikipedia