0
Teddy Wilson
Teddy Wilson
American pianist (1912-1986)
1
Charlie Shavers
Charlie Shavers
jazz trumpeter
2
Dave Bailey
Dave Bailey
American drummer
3
Jimmy Cleveland
Jimmy Cleveland
American jazz trombonist
4
Kai Winding
Kai Winding
Danish-born American jazz musician and trombonist
5
Ed Thigpen
Ed Thigpen
American jazz drummer
6
Bill Crow
Bill Crow
American bassist
7
Don Butterfield
Don Butterfield
American musician
8
Eddie Bert
Eddie Bert
American musician
9
Jo Jones
Jo Jones
American jazz drummer
10
Bob Brookmeyer
Bob Brookmeyer
American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer
11
Ben Webster
Ben Webster
American saxophonist
12
Osie Johnson
Osie Johnson
American jazz drummer, arranger and singer
13
Claude Williamson
Claude Williamson
American pianist
14
Wendell Marshall
Wendell Marshall
American jazz musician; double bassist
15
Urbie Green
Urbie Green
American jazz trombonist
16
Gerry Mulligan
Gerry Mulligan
American jazz baritone saxophonist, arranger and composer
17
James Buffington
James Buffington
American musician
18
Art Taylor
Art Taylor
American jazz drummer
19
Joe Benjamin
Joe Benjamin
American musician
20
Clark Terry
Clark Terry
American swing and bebop musician
21
Leroy Vinnegar
Leroy Vinnegar
American bassist
22
George Duvivier
George Duvivier
American musician
23
Teddy Kotick
Teddy Kotick
American musician
24
Ben Tucker
Ben Tucker
American double-bassist
25
Charlie Rouse
Charlie Rouse
American musician
26
Chico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton
American musician
27
Charlie Persip
Charlie Persip
American jazz drummer
28
Oliver Jackson
Oliver Jackson
American drummer
29
Harry Edison
Harry Edison
American trumpeter
30
Max Roach
Max Roach
American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer
31
Lester Young
Lester Young
American jazz tenor saxophonist and sometimes clarinetist
32
Seldon Powell
Seldon Powell
American musician
33
Billy Higgins
Billy Higgins
American jazz drummer
34
Stan Levey
Stan Levey
American musician
35
Connie Kay
Connie Kay
American musician
36
Pete Candoli
Pete Candoli
American musician (1923-2008)
37
Arnold Ross
Arnold Ross
American musician and pianist
38
Frank Rehak
Frank Rehak
American musician
39
Bernard Purdie
Bernard Purdie
American drummer
40
Charlie Ventura
Charlie Ventura
American musician
41
Mel Lewis
Mel Lewis
American musician
42
Larry Bunker
Larry Bunker
American musician
43
Conte Candoli
Conte Candoli
American musician
44
Mousey Alexander
Mousey Alexander
Jazz drummer
45
Buddy DeFranco
Buddy DeFranco
American jazz clarinetist and bandleader
46
Aaron Bell
Aaron Bell
American musician
47
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa
drummer, composer, bandleader
48
Tommy Bryant
Tommy Bryant
American musician
49
Jimmy Rowles
Jimmy Rowles
American jazz pianist
50
Benny Powell
Benny Powell
American jazz trombonist
51
Freddie Green
Freddie Green
American jazz guitarist
52
Herb Ellis
Herb Ellis
American jazz guitarist
53
Al Cohn
Al Cohn
American saxophonist
54
Billy Byers
Billy Byers
American jazz trombonist and arranger (1927-1996)
55
Bill Holman
Bill Holman
American composer, arranger, and conductor
56
William Frank Reichenbach Sr.
William Frank Reichenbach Sr.
American musician
57
Lee Konitz
Lee Konitz
American jazz musician
58
Sam Woodyard
Sam Woodyard
American jazz drummer
59
Alvin Stoller
Alvin Stoller
American musician
60
Bob Cranshaw
Bob Cranshaw
American musician
61
Jimmy Giuffre
Jimmy Giuffre
American clarinet and saxophone player
62
Wayne Andre
Wayne Andre
American trombonist
63
Al Lucas
Al Lucas
Canadian jazz musician
64
Chuck Rainey
Chuck Rainey
American bass guitar session musician
65
Creed Taylor
Creed Taylor
American record producer
66
Kenny Burrell
Kenny Burrell
American jazz guitarist
67
Jimmy Heath
Jimmy Heath
American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger and big band leader
68
Frank Rosolino
Frank Rosolino
American jazz trombonist
69
Gene Cherico
Gene Cherico
American musician
70
Al Hall
Al Hall
American musician
71
Hal McKusick
Hal McKusick
American jazz flautist and saxophonist
72
Gus Johnson
Gus Johnson
American musician
73
J. C. Heard
J. C. Heard
American musician
74
Barry Galbraith
Barry Galbraith
American guitarist
75
Zoot Sims
Zoot Sims
American jazz saxophonist
76
Ernie Watts
Ernie Watts
American jazz musician
77
Jimmy Witherspoon
Jimmy Witherspoon
American jump blues singer
78
Walter Davis
Walter Davis
American pianist
79
Russell Procope
Russell Procope
American musician
80
Donald Byrd
Donald Byrd
American recording artist; jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist
Specs Powell
American musician

Specs Powell

Intro
American musician
Genres
Awards Received
Rome Prize
Music

Gordon "Specs" Powell (June 5, 1922 – September 15, 2007) was a jazz drummer who began performing in the swing era.

Specs was the first black staff musician hired by CBS in 1943. Born in New York City, he started on piano but became exclusively a drummer in the late 1930s. He worked with Edgar Hayes (1939), Benny Carter (1941–42), and Ben Webster. He played percussion on the Ed Sullivan Show in the early 1960s and remained active professionally until the 1970s. In 2004 he was inducted into the Big Band Jazz Hall of Fame.

He died in San Diego of kidney disease at the age of 85.