Rudy Powell

Rudy Powell, who later adopted the name Musheed Karweem, built a solid reputation as a versatile clarinetist and alto saxophonist across a lengthy working life. After taking up piano and violin in childhood, he eventually turned to the saxophone and had become a full-time professional by 1927, performing alongside June Clark and Gene Rodger's Revellers. His first substantial engagement came with Cliff Jackson's Krazy Kats, where he remained from 1928 to 1930. Influenced to some degree by Benny Carter, Powell moved through an extensive sequence of ensembles that included stints with Elmer Snowden, Dave Nelson, Sam Wooding, Kaiser Marshall's Trio, Rex Stewart in 1933, Fats Waller intermittently between 1935 and 1937, Edgar Hayes, Claude Hopkins in 1938-39 and again in 1944, the Teddy Wilson big band, Andy Kirk during 1940-41, Fletcher Henderson from 1941 to 1942, Eddie South, Don Redman in 1943, Chris Columbus, Cab Calloway's Orchestra from 1945 to 1948, Lucky Millinder between 1949 and 1951, Jimmy Rushing, Buddy Tate, pianist Benton Heath's New Garden Ballroom Orchestra from 1953 to 1961, Ray Charles in 1961-62, Buddy Johnson, and Duke Ellington's My People production. His final extended affiliation was with the Saints and Sinners from 1965 to 1969, after which he continued occasional freelance work into the 1970s. He appeared on recordings with nearly all of these artists as well as with Al Casey in 1960 and Henry "Red" Allen, yet never led a session under his own name.