Richie Powell

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Richie Powell was an American jazz pianist, composer and arranger, born on 5 September 1931 in New York and died on 26 June 1956. He was the youngest of three sons and the brother of the better-known pianist Bud Powell. Their father was a stride pianist, another brother a trumpeter and violinist. Bud did not help his younger brother in his development. According to one story, Richie came to the piano after he kept asking the drummer Max Roach, who lived nearby, for drum lessons, until Roach suggested he play piano. A forgotten pianist, Bob Bunyan, taught him chords, and he studied with Mary Lou Williams.

Music and breakthrough

After working in Philadelphia and New York he played in the bands of Paul Williams from 1951 to 1952 and Johnny Hodges from 1952 to 1954. In the spring of 1954 he became pianist and arranger of the quintet of trumpeter Clifford Brown and drummer Max Roach. That group toured the United States for two years and made studio and live recordings, including Clifford Brown & Max Roach, which is in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Influence

Powell was killed on 26 June 1956 in a car accident, together with his wife and Clifford Brown, during a night drive from Philadelphia to Chicago. He was just beginning to receive recognition and never recorded an album as a leader. His piano playing was playful, full of musical quotations, with a relatively heavy touch and left-hand fourths, with which he influenced the pianist McCoy Tyner.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1954Jam Session

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• After Hours: Session 2^NL Reader