RUDY POWELL

Rudy Powell (later Musheed Karweem), October 28, 1907 - October 30, 1976, was an American jazz reed player.

Powell learned piano and violin while young, and then switched to clarinet and saxophone. In the late 1920s he played with June Clark, Gene Rodgers's Revellers, and Cliff Jackson's Krazy Kats (1928-1930). He never recorded as a leader, but worked extensively as a sideman throughout his career. Among his credits are (in roughly chronological order) Elmer Snowden, Dave Nelson, Sam Wooding, Kaiser Marshall, Rex Stewart (1933), Fats Waller (1935-37), Edgar Hayes, Claude Hopkins (1938-39, 1944), Teddy Wilson, Andy Kirk (1940-41), Fletcher Henderson (1941-42), Eddie South, Don Redman (1943), Chris Columbus, Cab Calloway (1945-48), Lucky Millinder (1949-51), Jimmy Rushing, Buddy Tate, Benton Heath (1953-61), Ray Charles (1961-62), Buddy Johnson, Duke Ellington, and Saints & Sinners (1965-69). He continued playing into the 1970s off and on.

In 1928 Rudy joined Gene Rodger's Revellers. By the end of the year he was playing with Cliff Jackson's Krazy Kats, where he remained a fixture until 1931. From 1934 to 1937 he played with Fats Waller's group. He also played in Fletcher Henderson's band, Cab Calloway and Jimmy Rushing's Kansas City Seven. Later in his career he played with Ray Charles.

Powell appears in A Great Day in Harlem.