Mel Powell
Encyclopedia
Mel Powell (February 12, 1923 – April 24, 1998) was a jazz
pianist
and composer
of classical music
.
Mel Epstein was born to Russian Jewish parents, Milton Epstein and Mildred Mark Epstein, and began playing piano as a child. He performed jazz professionally in New York City
as a teenager. As early as 1939, he was working with Bobby Hackett
, George Brunies
, and Zutty Singleton. He changed his last name to Powell in 1940.
In 1941-42 he played, composed, and arranged
for Benny Goodman
. A member of Glenn Miller
's Army Air Force Band in 1943-45, he played with Django Reinhardt
in Paris at war's end. Powell briefly returned to Goodman's band, then worked in Hollywood after World War II
and married actress Martha Scott
. In 1948 he played himself in the movie A Song Is Born
as the jazz pianist working with Benny Goodman. In this movie he worked along with many other famous jazz players including Louis Armstrong
.
After studying at Yale
with Paul Hindemith
in 1948-1952, he all but gave up jazz for classical composition. He was a member of the composition faculty at Yale from 1958 to 1969, a founder of the Yale Electronic Music Studio and a founding editor of Perspectives of New Music. In 1969 he moved to California to serve as founding dean of the California Institute of the Arts
in Valencia, California
. After serving as acting head of the Institute he was awarded the Roy O. Disney Professorship of music, and taught and composed at CalArts until his death. In 1990 he received the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his concerto
for two pianos and orchestra,Duplicates.
In 1987 he returned to jazz to play a jazz festival on the cruise ship SS Norway with Benny Carter
, Howard Alden
, Milt Hinton
, and Louie Bellson
. One performance has been documented on the CD release The Return of Mel Powell (Chiaroscuro Records). This CD includes twenty minutes of Powell discussing his life and his reasons for leaving jazz.
His notable students include Justin Connolly
, Brian Fennelly, Robert Fruehwald, Walter Hekster
, Sean Griffin, Arturo Marquez
, Cesar Mateus, Lewis Spratlan
, John Stewart
, Lois V Vierk
, John Ferritto
, Sally Lamb and Steven Hoey.
His birth name was Melvin Epstein. He was born in the Bronx, New York City on February 12, 1923, and died in Sherman Oaks, California on April 24, 1998, at age 75.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
.
Mel Epstein was born to Russian Jewish parents, Milton Epstein and Mildred Mark Epstein, and began playing piano as a child. He performed jazz professionally in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as a teenager. As early as 1939, he was working with Bobby Hackett
Bobby Hackett
Robert Leo "Bobby" Hackett was an US jazz musician who played trumpet, cornet and guitar with the bands of Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman in the late thirties and early forties.-Biography:...
, George Brunies
George Brunies
George Brunies, aka Georg Brunis, was a jazz trombonist who came to fame in the 1930s, and was part of the Dixieland revival. He was known as the "King of the Tailgate Trombone"....
, and Zutty Singleton. He changed his last name to Powell in 1940.
In 1941-42 he played, composed, and arranged
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
for Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
. A member of Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
's Army Air Force Band in 1943-45, he played with Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
in Paris at war's end. Powell briefly returned to Goodman's band, then worked in Hollywood after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and married actress Martha Scott
Martha Scott
Martha Ellen Scott was an American actress best known for her roles as mother of the lead character in numerous films and television shows.-Early life:...
. In 1948 he played himself in the movie A Song Is Born
A Song Is Born
A Song Is Born was a 1948 Technicolor musical film remake, starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo, of 1941 movie Ball of Fire with Gary Cooper...
as the jazz pianist working with Benny Goodman. In this movie he worked along with many other famous jazz players including Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
.
After studying at Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
with Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
in 1948-1952, he all but gave up jazz for classical composition. He was a member of the composition faculty at Yale from 1958 to 1969, a founder of the Yale Electronic Music Studio and a founding editor of Perspectives of New Music. In 1969 he moved to California to serve as founding dean of the California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
in Valencia, California
Valencia, California
Valencia is an affluent planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California and Los Angeles County, California, U.S. in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities that merged to create the...
. After serving as acting head of the Institute he was awarded the Roy O. Disney Professorship of music, and taught and composed at CalArts until his death. In 1990 he received the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his concerto
Concerto
A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
for two pianos and orchestra,Duplicates.
In 1987 he returned to jazz to play a jazz festival on the cruise ship SS Norway with Benny Carter
Benny Carter
Bennett Lester Carter was an American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. He was a major figure in jazz from the 1930s to the 1990s, and was recognized as such by other jazz musicians who called him King...
, Howard Alden
Howard Alden
Howard Alden is an American jazz guitarist born in Newport Beach, California. He has recorded a long series of albums for Concord Records. His performances were dubbed over Sean Penn as 'Emmet Ray' in the 1999 Woody Allen film Sweet and Lowdown...
, Milt Hinton
Milt Hinton
Milton John "Milt" Hinton , "the dean of jazz bass players," was an American jazz double bassist and photographer. He was nicknamed "The Judge".-Biography:...
, and Louie Bellson
Louie Bellson
Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni , better known by the stage name Louie Bellson , was an Italian-American jazz drummer...
. One performance has been documented on the CD release The Return of Mel Powell (Chiaroscuro Records). This CD includes twenty minutes of Powell discussing his life and his reasons for leaving jazz.
His notable students include Justin Connolly
Justin Connolly
Justin Connolly is a British composer and teacher.He was educated at Westminster School, and then briefly studied law at the Middle Temple before deciding on a career in music...
, Brian Fennelly, Robert Fruehwald, Walter Hekster
Walter Hekster
Walter Hekster is a Dutch composer, clarinetist and conductor of classical music, specializing in contemporary classical music....
, Sean Griffin, Arturo Marquez
Arturo Márquez
Arturo Márquez is a renowned Mexican composer of orchestra music who is well known for using musical forms and styles of his native Mexico and incorporating them into his compositions.-Life:...
, Cesar Mateus, Lewis Spratlan
Lewis Spratlan
M. Lewis Spratlan Jr. is an American music academic and composer of contemporary classical music.Born in Miami, Florida, Spratlan played the oboe as a youth. He attended Yale University and was a student of Mel Powell and Gunther Schuller...
, John Stewart
John Stewart (tenor)
John Harger Stewart is an American tenor, conductor, and voice teacher who had an active international singing career in concerts and operas from 1964 to 1990. He began his career singing regularly with the Santa Fe Opera from the mid 1960s through the early 1970s; after which he appeared only...
, Lois V Vierk
Lois V Vierk
Lois V Vierk is a "post-minimalist" or "totalist" composer who lives in New York City.She received a B.A. degree in piano and ethnomusicology from UCLA in 1974. She then attended Cal Arts, studying composition with Mel Powell, Leonard Stein, and Morton Subotnick, receiving her M.F.A. in 1978...
, John Ferritto
John Ferritto
John E. Ferritto was an American composer, conductor, and music professor.He graduated with honors in piano and violin performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and also holds a M.M. in composition from Yale University, where he studied piano with Ward Davenny, conducting with Gustav...
, Sally Lamb and Steven Hoey.
His birth name was Melvin Epstein. He was born in the Bronx, New York City on February 12, 1923, and died in Sherman Oaks, California on April 24, 1998, at age 75.
Quotes
- "Serious new music, like serious old music, isn't made to be dribbled around in a basketball arena."
- "The musician's business is structure..."
- "The musician...is...therefore drawn to a profound science of structure. Looking closely at music itself, he is likely to ask: What changes? When? By how much?...he is...able to feel at home where logicians exhibit techniques for isolating relevant structure."
External links
- G. Schirmer: Mel Powell Composer profile and work list
- A Multifaceted Musical Personality
- Art of the States: Mel Powell Immobiles (1967)
- GreenManReview.com Review of Powell's The Best Things In Life (Vanguard Records, 1999) by Danny Cohen
- LA Times Obituary 4/25/98, p. 22 (Home edition).
- Solfege, ear training, rhythm, dictation, and music theory : a comprehensive course / Marta Árkossy Ghezzo ; preface by Mel Powell.
- Mel Powell:Remembered by his students
- Mel Powell NPR obituary
- The Mel Powell Papers at Irving S. Gilmore Music Library, Yale University