Benny Powell

Nextep

Origin 82517

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...deeply rooted in the jazz tradition with a driving creativity...
All About Jazz

Trombonist Benny Powell marks his first Origin release with a set of dynamic originals, which combine African and Caribbean influences with deep jazz roots to create a vibrant collection from a true jazz veteran. Joining him on Nextet are TK Blue on sax, pianist Sayuri Goto, Essiet Essiet on bass and drummer Billy Hart.

A legendary sideman, Powell toured with the Count Basie Orchestra for many years along with Lionel Hampton's band, Duke Pearson's New York Big Band, and with pianist Randy Weston, who he regularly performs with today. Powell has been featured on hundreds of recordings from the early ?50s through today, including albums with Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Joe Henderson, Thad Jone/Mel Lewis Band, Eddie Harris, Roberta Flack, Quincy Jones, B.B. King, Ella Fitzgerald, George Benson, Dinah Washington, Gene Ammons, and dozens of other icons
of jazz & American popular music.


Track Listing:

1 Free To Be Me 5:34
2 The Township Diary 5:34
3 Best People 5:06
4 Akiha 5:57
5 Another Blue 6:18
6 Night, Never End 6:38
7 I Tried and Tried 5:20
8 A Single Tear of Remembrance 7:18
9 You Got It 5:31
10 The Caribbean Express 4:28

Performers:

BENNY POWELL - trombone
TK BLUE - alto/sop. saxophones, flute
SAYURI GOTO - piano
ESSIET O. ESSIET - bass
BILLY HART - drums

Production Info:

Produced by Benny Powell
Co-produced by Brian Grady
Recorded February 9 & 10, 2007
at Alleycat Studio, South Orange, NJ
Engineered by John Lee
Cover design by John Bishop


Reviews of Nextep

All About Jazz.com (Dan McClenaghan)
If Benny Powell doesn't sound familiar, he should be. He's recorded memorable work with Count Basie (a classic solo on "April in Paris") and on pianist Randy Weston's African Sunrise (Polygram Records, 1992). He's also been heard in countless recordings with Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Joe Henderson, Sarah Vaughn and as part of Merv Griffin's TV ...

All Music Guide (Adam Greenburg)
Taking his first steps with the Origin label, longtime trombone sideman Benny Powell takes his own band for a spin, focusing entirely on original compositions from himself and his comrades in arms. The album opens with a nice piece of New Orleans-infused composition that makes full use of Powell's trombone in a second-line form, showing off the hor ...

Audiophile Audition (Jeff Krow)
Steppin' out with Benny Powell. Seventy-eight-year-old trombone master Benny Powell has had an extensive career, playing in the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Count Basie. He played in the Basie band for many years, and was prominently featured in Randy Weston's African Rhythms group. Criminally under-recorded as a leader, Powell has only had t ...

All About Jazz - New York ()
A whiff of glorious, old-time New Orleans jazz in "Free to be Me" jubilantly launches Benny Powell's latest, Nextep. Yet be assured the set is no trip down nostalgia lane. A working musician since his early teens in New Orleans, bop loyalist and a veteran sideman at hundreds of recording sessions with the likes of everyone from Count Basie and Fran ...

Oregon Jazz Scene (George Fendel)
Benny Powell can hand you a resume with the likes of Basie, Jones-Lewis, Heath, and Benny Carter to name a few. This time out, however, it's Benny's own band with TK Blue on reeds, Sayuri Goto, piano, Essiet Essiet, bass, Billy Hart, drums. The group begins with a New Orleans-like street march called "Free to Be Me." It seems to set the pace for th ...

JazzTimes, Jan/Feb 09 (Will Smith)
It's most encouraging to hear some of jazz's senior citizens (Sonny Rollins, James Moody, Lee Konitz, Clark Terry and Hank Jones, among others) remaining active and creative in their sunset years. At age 78, trombonist Benny Powell may have lost a step or two with regard to his solo work on Nextep, his first recording in five years, yet he's still ...

Downbeat, April 2009 (John Ephland)
This album is ripe with personality. Every cut evokes the aura of its leader, veteran trombonist Benny Powell. And each cut is different from the one that came before it. With a flexible crew that can navigate some second-line, swing, blues, samba and all things (light) Latin jazz, Nextep doesn't hit you over the head with amazing displays of virtu ...



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