About 

Roy Powell: Journey Through Jazz and Beyond.

Roy Powell, pianist, organist, and composer, embarked on his musical journey at the age of five under the guidance of his father, who was an organist. He showed great talent early on, earning a scholarship as a teenager to study classical piano with a concert pianist, followed by composition studies. He furthered his education at the prestigious Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester.

 

Early Career

In 1989 Powell formed the Manchester-based quartet Some Other Country, featuring guitarist Mike Walker. This group gained significant recognition through regular performances at Manchester's iconic Band on the Wall and appearances on local radio and the BBC. His early compositional talent was highlighted when the Apollo Saxophone Quartet commissioned his piece "Bow Out," which was not only featured on their Decca recording "First and Foremost" but was also subsequently performed as a ballet piece by various ballet companies across America. Powell's debut recording, "A Big Sky" (Totem Records, 1994), was a significant milestone, praised by Jazz on CD as "a real benchmark in British contemporary electronic jazz."

 

Move to Norway and Continued Success

In the late 1990s, Roy Powell moved to Norway, where his collaborative spirit led to the creation of "Holus" (Resonant Music, 1999) with Terje Gewelt and Jarle Vespestad, hailed as "an outstanding success.” by Jazz Journal International. His subsequent release, "North by Northwest" (2001, Nagel Heyer), featuring Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen, was both critically acclaimed and named Best Jazz CD of 2001 by Amazon.co.uk. This quartet, which also included John Marshall, and Mike Walker, was booked for a week-long residency at London's legendary Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club during the London Jazz Festival and was recorded by the BBC. This would be followed by several such engagements at Ronnie's in the next few years.

 

Ongoing Collaborations and Solo Efforts

Powell showed his versatility when he joined Sigurd Køhn's touring group, Køhn Johansen Sextet, performing at many major Norwegian jazz festivals and recording two albums, “Woman’s Got to Have It” (Real Records 1999) and “Angels” (Real Records 2003). He then returned to the trio format, reuniting with Gewelt and Vespestad to produce the album "Solace" (Nagel Heyer, 2003), which received a 4-star review in Downbeat magazine. After a guest appearance on Frode Berg's CD "Dig It!" in 2004, Powell took a break from concert performances to focus on composing his own music. This led to a jazz fusion project with Bulgarian drummer Ivan Makedonov and Norwegian bassist Per Mathisen, forming the Peak Experience Trio. They toured extensively in Bulgaria in 2008 and 2009.

 

Expanded Horizons and New Ventures

In 2007, Powell began a collaboration with Italian bassist Lorenzo Feliciati, resulting in the recording of the album "Napoli," a collection of Neapolitan songs, released by the Japanese label Gats Production in 2009. In 2010, Powell focused on the Hammond organ. Together with ECM musician Jacob Young and drummer Jarle Vespestad, he formed the trio InterStatic. Their CD "Anthem" (2011) and subsequent albums “InterStatic” (2012) and “Arise” (2014) for RareNoise Records established them on the jazz scene with performances across Norway, Italy, London and New York. Further collaboration with Lorenzo Feliciati resulted in the project Naked Truth with Pat Mastelotto and Cuong Vu/Graham Haynes, producing three albums on RareNoise Records: “Shizaru” (2011), “Ouroboros” (2012), and “Avian Thug” (2015). Powell also explored new sonic territories with his band Mumpbeak, using a Hohner Clavinet to create a guitar-like sounds, resulting in the albums “Mumpeak” (2013) and “Tooth” (2017) both on RareNoise Records with prominent musicians Bill Laswell, Pat Mastelotto and Tony Levin.

 

Recent Work and Ongoing Projects

Roy Powell's productive 30-year career includes an extensive discography with over 40 recordings, recognition in prestigious publications, and international radio programs. He has shared stages and recording studios with jazz stars such as Arild Andersen, Jeff Berlin, Anthony Braxton, Eddie Daniels, Hadrian Feraud, Art Farmer, Robben Ford, Mike Gibbs, Graham Haynes, Roy Hargrove, Bill Laswell, Dave Liebman, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Vince Mendoza, Nils Petter Molvær, Bobby Shew, Cuong Vu, Reggie Washington, Chad Wackerman, and many more.

 

Currently, Powell is actively involved in several projects: playing keyboards in This Celestial Engine with Dave Sturt and Ted Parsons (new album on Discus Music, 2024), organ in Frode Kjekstad Trio (new album recorded 2024), and piano in The Italian Songbook with Lorenzo Feliciati and Lucrezio De Seta (new album on Terashima Records, 2024). Additionally, there are plans for a new album with InterStatic alongside Jacob Young and Jarle Vespestad.

 

Roy Powell's journey through the world of jazz confirms his enduring talent and innovative spirit, continually pushing the boundaries of musical expression.