World class trombonist Benny Powell, who gained national attention during his 12-year association with Count Basie, will be the featured jazz musician at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at LaGuardia Community College on April 25.
During the jazz jam session, Powell will perform with the center’s house band.
The performance begins at 8 p.m. in the college’s Little Theatre at 47th Avenue at Van Dam Street, Long Island City.
General admission tickets are $7. Reservations are suggested. For tickets, call the box office at (718) 482-5151.
Born in New Orleans in 1930, Powell is best known for his long tenure, beginning in 1951, with the Count Basie Band, and for his eight-bar contribution to the band’s hit “April in Paris.” While with the band, he also was recognized for his solo playing.
Throughout his career, critics have praised him for displaying a story-telling approach to improvisation. Jazz critic Nat Hentoff has written, “Benny Powell’s playing has always had a flowing coherence. The stories he tells are not fragmentary; they’re complete.”
After leaving Basie, Powell went on to enjoy a diverse musical career that included Broadway, television, and recording.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the trombonist played in Duke Pearson’s New York big band and the renowned Thad Jones-Mel Jazz Orchestra. In the early 70s, he became a member of the Merv Griffin Show band.
After working in Hollywood for 10 years, he connected with two jazz greats — late clarinetist John Carter and pianist Randy Weston, with whom he still performs.
