Ollie Powers

Ollie Powers (1890 – April 14, 1928) was an American jazz drummer and vocalist.[1]

Biography

Ollie Powell[2] was born in Louisville, Kentucky, United States.[1]

Louis Armstrong remembered him as a solo entertainer at the Dreamland Cabaret, where he sung Irving Berlin's "What'll I Do" in a powerful, but high and sweet voice.[3] Powers helped Armstrong land a job there before Armstrong left for New York City to play with Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra.[4]

One of his ensembles, named Ollie Powers' Harmony Syncopators, recorded for Paramount Records in 1923. The label released two tracks; "Jazzbo Jenkins" and "Play That Thing." The latter track was recorded four times by the band.[5] From 1926 onwards, he performed with the clarinet player and sometimes bandleader, Jimmie Noone, until shortly before Powers death.[1]

Powers died of diabetes in April 1928 in Chicago, Illinois, United States.[1] During the funeral at Liberty Congregational Church, Armstrong played "Going Home" from Dvořák's New World Symphony.[6]

Both of the Paramount tracks were released in November 2013 on the compilation album, The Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Vol. 1 (1917-1927).[7]

References
  1. Eugene Chadbourne. "Ollie Powers : Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  2. Joseph F. Clarke (1977). Pseudonyms. BCA. p. 134.
  3. Brothers, Thomas (2014). Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-393-06582-4.
  4. Brothers, Thomas (2014). Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-393-06582-4.
  5. "Ollie Powers' Harmony Syncopators". Red Hot Jazz Archive. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  6. Brothers, Thomas (2014). Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. pp. 290–91. ISBN 978-0-393-06582-4.
  7. "The Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Vol. 1 (1917-1927) : Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
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