Seldon Powell Explained

Seldon Powell (15 November 1928 – 25 January 1997) was an American soul jazz, swing, and R&B tenor saxophonist and flautist born in Lawrenceville, Virginia.

He worked with Tab Smith (1949), Lucky Millinder (1949–51), Neal Hefti, Louis Bellson, and Jimmy Witherspoon.^[1] During the 1960s he ventured into the soul jazz idiom and worked with Clark Terry, Lou Donaldson, Johnny Hammond Smith, and Buddy Rich.^[2]

Discography

As leader

• Sedon Powell Plays (Roost 1955 [1956], reissued by Roulette, 1973))
• Seldon Powell featuring Jimmy Cleveland (Roost, 1956)
• Rhythm Plus One (Fresh Sound, 1956 [1984], LP reissue of selections from the above)
• At the Hop (PMI)
• Messin' with Seldon Powell (Encounter, 1973)

As sideman

With Tony Aless

• Long Island Suite (Roost, 1955)

With Mose Allison

• Hello There, Universe (Atlantic, 1970)

With Albert Ayler

• New Grass (Impulse!, 1968)

With Chet Baker

• Baker's Holiday (Limelight, 1965)

With Gato Barbieri

• Chapter Three, Viva Emiliano Zapata (Impulse!, 1974)

With Aaron Bell

• Music from Peter Gunn (Lion, 1959)
• Music from Victory at Sea (Lion, 1959)

With Louis Bellson

• The Driving Louis Bellson (Norgran, 1955)

With Billy Butler

• Guitar Soul! (Prestige, 1969)

With Anthony Braxton

• Creative Orchestra Music 1976 (Arista, 1976)

With Rusty Bryant

• Until It's Time for You to Go (Prestige, 1974)

With Charlie Byrd

• Byrd at the Gate (Riverside, 1963)

With Hank Crawford

• Mr. Blues Plays Lady Soul (Atlantic, 1969)

With Bobby Donaldson

• Jazz Unlimited (Golden Crest, 1960)

With Charles Earland

• Charles III (Prestige, 1973)

With Art Farmer

• The Aztec Suite (United Artists, 1959)

With Jimmy Forrest

• Soul Street (New Jazz, 1962)

With Ronnie Foster

• Sweet Revival (Blue Note, 1972)

With Panama Francis

• The beat behind million sellers (ABC, 1960)
• Tough Talk (20th Century Fox, 1964)

With Friedrich Gulda

• Friedrich Gulda at Birdland (RCA Victor, 1957)
• A Man of Letters (Decca, 1957)

With Eddie Harris

• Silver Cycles (Atlantic, 1968)

With Neal Hefti

• Hot'n Hearty (Epic, 1955)

With Groove Holmes

• Night Glider (Groove Merchant, 1973)

With Quincy Jones

• Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini (Mercury, 1964)
• Quincy Plays for Pussycats (Mercury, 1965)

With Rufus "Speedy" Jones

• Five on Eight (Cameo)

With Looking Glass

• Subway Serenade (Epic, 1973)

With Ahmed Abdul-Malik

• Spellbound (Status, 1964)

With Arif Mardin

• Journey (Atlantic, 1974)

With Les McCann

• Les McCann Plays the Hits (Limelight, 1966)
• Comment (Atlantic, 1970)
• Another Beginning (Atlantic, 1974)

With Jack McDuff

• The Fourth Dimension (Cadet, 1974)

With Gary McFarland

• Soft Samba (Verve, 1963)

With Jimmy McGriff

• The Big Band (Solid State, 1966)

With Blue Mitchell

• Many Shades of Blue (Mainstream, 1974)

With Modern Jazz Quartet

• Jazz Dialogue (Atlantic, 1965)

With David "Fathead" Newman

• Bigger & Better (Atlantic, 1968)

With Chico O'Farrill

• Nine Flags (Impulse!, 1966)

With Sy Oliver

• Annie Laurie (Sesac, 1960)
• Easy Walker (Sesac, 1962)

With Jimmy Owens

• Headin' Home (A&M/Horizon, 1978)

With Oliver Nelson

• The Spirit of '67 with Pee Wee Russell (Impulse!, 1967)

With Reuben Phillips

• Manhattan...3 a.m. (Poplar, 1960)

With Bernard Purdie

• Soul Drums (Date, 1967)
• Stand by Me (Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get) (Mega, 1971)
• Soul Is... Pretty Purdie (Flying Dutchman, 1972)

With Buddy Rich

• The Driver (EmArcy, 1960)

With Willie Rodriguez

• Flatjacks (Riverside, 1964)

With A. K. Salim

• Blues Suite (Savoy, 1958)

With Eddie Sauter

• The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra – Directions in Music (RCA, 1952–58)

With Johnny "Hammond" Smith

• Black Coffee (Riverside, 1962)
• Look Out! (New Jazz, 1962)
• Open House! (Riverside, 1963)

With Leon Spencer

• Where I'm Coming From (Prestige, 1973)

With Sonny Stitt

• Sonny Stitt Plays Arrangements from the Pen of Quincy Jones (Roost, 1955)
• I Keep Comin' Back! (Roulette, 1966)

With Billy Taylor

• Billy Taylor with Four Flutes (Riverside, 1959)
• Brazilian Beat (Sesac, 1963)

With Clark Terry

• Color Changes (Candid, 1960)
• What makes Sammy swing (20th Century Fox, 1963)

With Joe Thomas

• Joy of Cookin' (Groove Merchant, 1972)

With Teri Thornton

• Devil May Care (Riverside, 1961)

With Cal Tjader

• Warm Wave (Verve, 1964)
• Soul Burst (Verve, 1966)

With Ernie Wilkins

• The Big New Band of the 60's (Everest, 1960)

With Jimmy Witherspoon

• Goin' to Kansas City Blues (RCA Victor, 1958) with Jay McShann

Notes and References

1. Rotante . Anthony . 1965 . Jimmy Witherspoon Discography . Record Research . 65 . Brooklyn, NY . 8 . January 16, 2023 . Internet Archive.
2. Web site: Wynn. Ron. [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p9445/biography|pure_url=yes}} Seldon Powell Biography]. Allmusic. 2007-06-23 .