Specs Powell

Who was Specs Powell?

Gordon "Specs" Powell was a jazz drummer and percussionist who began in the swing era. He also worked in the Bebop and Hard bop idioms.

Born in New York, he started out on piano but became exclusively a drummer in the late 1930s. He worked with Edgar Hayes, Benny Carter, Ben Webster, and others early in his career. He started working as a staff musician for CBS in 1943. He was lead drummer on The Ed Sullivan Show in the early 1960s. His only album as a leader was in 1957. He remained active until the 1970s and was honored by the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 2004.