by Gary Powell

In 1995, I gave an interview on Austin’s NPR radio station, KLRU. During the interview, the moderator, John Rogers, played a recording of a composition I had written for the vocal group I had directed ten years earlier at the University of Texas, Ensemble 109. I recorded “Kryie Eleison, Christe Eleison” in 1986 with five studio singers, two of whom had been former students of mine at UT.

When I came home from the live interview, I had received messages on my home phone from two of Austin’s artistic directors, Lambros Lambrou of Ballet Austin and Greg Easley of Austin Contemporary Ballet, who were both listening to the interview and both heard “Kyrie Eleison” at the same time. Both, also, made calls to me within minutes of each other without each other’s knowledge.

Although I would have welcomed the chance to have worked with Lambros Lambrou, Greg Easley had a more immediate need in mind. He explained how AIDS had taken it’s toll on the dance community at large and how he felt that my “Kyrie” had spoken to his own sense of loss. Then Greg asked, “Would you be interested in expanding your “Kryrie” to look more deeply into loss itself, not directly as an AIDS piece, but because all of us live with loss everyday?” Thus, the bigger idea for the ballet was born, entitled “Rhapsody of the Soul,” and performed at Austin’s Paramount Theatre on February 9th, 1996.

“Rhapsody of the Soul” - Now Available Online for Worldwide Download from These Stores

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Filed by Gary Powell at 5:40 pm under Miramuse, Rhapsody of the Soul
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by Gary Powell, Composer/Pianist

I’m proud to announce the worldwide digital release of “Thunderstorm in Mentone,” a spoken-word album featuring author and speaker, John Lee.

Composers are often called upon to interpret life in solitude. This project, however, was by its nature a collaborative effort. I found that musically interpreting the intimacy of John Lee’s words and voice was a wonderful and enriching creative experience. My intent was not to simply provide a musical bed for John’s rich baritone. Instead, I chose to score the music both tightly and programmatically to his poetry’s honest imagery. My wish is that you will experience this integration of poetry and music as deeply as I have and find the solo piano transparently merged with John Lee’s beautiful performance.

When Gary Powell and I first talked about him setting music to my poems I thought, ‘What a compliment,’ and ‘Sure, let’s try it.’ Then when I heard his first composition I could hardly compose myself. The sound coming out of this talented, gentle man’s soul stirred my own. Now after listening to his music embrace my poems, I want to write more poetry and be a better poet and say, ‘Let’s do more.’ And we will. - John Lee, Poet and Writer

Filed by Gary Powell at 10:40 am under Miramuse
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by Gary Powell

Yakov Smirnoff and I first met while sailing together as “Cruise Directors of the Caribbean” in 1978. We were twenty-five years ahead of Captain Jack Sparrow’s appearance. Did we both actually dress up like pirates on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Pirates’ Night? Of course we did, but, in 2008, Yakov is doing it again and in style! This time he and his cast from “The Yakov Smirnoff Show” are singing a parody of my tune, “Pirates of the Black Tide,” not on the high seas, but in Branson, Missouri. Did our earlier Caribbean swashbuckling-midnight-buffet adventures set up this new collaboration thirty years later? Oh, there are too many escapades to tell that we will both take with us down to Davy Jones locker!

Although not a singer’s singer, Yakov has performed several of my songs since 1978. He thinks he sucks. I don’t. I think that when you give him 2,000 adoring fans in his own theatre, tighten the spotlight, and let him sell it, the “almost” part of being a singer is washed away with his sheer and demanding presence. It’s something to be seen and serves as an excellent lesson for young singers to quickly absorb by watching this very real performer.

In 1978, Yakov was a new American. Now, he is a model American as foretold and defined by our founding fathers. In that and in his show, you will see the truest traits of this individual striving to build a life which reflects the strongest and most ambitious vision for himself and for us all. This is the ground on which our friendship is anchored. It’s a friendship of choice, reflection, and unwavering loyalty and honesty - one could say, the pirates’ code.

Sail on my friend. I’m at your rear quarter and you are at mine.

For ticket information and show times, please visit The Yakov Smirnoff Show. On my site you can read the lyrics and story behind “The Pirates of the Black Tide”, Words and Music by Gary Powell and published by Jesmax Music, BMI.

Filed by Gary Powell at 10:17 pm under GP Music & Video Publishing, Jesmax Music, BMI
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Jesmax Music, BMI has added “The Perfect Doggie Day” with words and music composed by Gary Powell to its catalog of songs. Gary Powell also served as producer/arranger of the song which is on the album entitled “Disney’s 101 Dalmatians and Friends” releasing March 4th, 2008 on Walt Disney Records. The song was recorded in Austin, Texas at Powell Studio Productions and the album was compiled by Walt Disney Records VP, Ted Kryczko. Congratulations to Steve Sterling on his very cleverly designed album and CD artwork.

“Hamburgers burnt, hambugers soggy.
It’s all good when you’re the doggie.”

- Lyric from “The Perfect Doggie Day”

The song is performed by Austin singer, Trent Durham, a long time contributor for Powell Studio Productions. Trent made a previous appearance for the Walt Disney Records’ album, “Disney’s Song Factory - Dinosaur (Songs Inspired by Aladar’s Adventure)” on the song “Paradise” released in 1999. Trent continues to write and perform in Austin, Texas. The guitar parts were all played by Austin recording session guitarist extraordinaire Larry Seyer of Larry Seyer Digital. The male background vocals were performed by Zach Reiner-Harris, Ian Stuart, Ryan Farnsworth and Jeffrey Benson Parker, who were all students from the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California at Irvine. We found these young singers during auditions for the Recording Experience hosted by Ted Kryczko and held at Jeff Sheridan’s studio, Soundworks, in North Hollywood, California.

Read the Song Lyrics

Filed by Gary Powell at 10:29 pm under Jesmax Music, BMI
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“Gary Powell on Your Grocer’s Shelf” 2002 Press Release(248 Word Count)

As one of the nation’s preimminent composers for children, Gary Powell has reached his ultimate goal. In July, 2002 Kellogg’s released, for public consumption, three million cereal boxes of “Hunny B’s” and three million cereal boxes of “Buzz Blasts”. The “Buzz Blasts” cereal box contains a single CD with two Powell songs which he produced for Kellogg’s, Disney and Pixar. The “Hunny B’s” cereal box contains two more Powell songs which were produced for Kellogg’s and Disney.Powell ‘s musical style suggests a long association with cereal. No one knows exactly what that means, however, with what seems to be the musician’s equivalent to being pictured on a Wheaties box, Powell notes, “I ‘ve always figured I’d have songs placed in Coco Puffs or Captain Crunch, but to jump to the level of Kellogg’s in my lifetime could be nothing more than a dream. My parents always said that ‘cream rises to the top’. Who would have guessed that to be literally true.”Powell says his mission statement as a producer was first inspired when he was a child eating cereal straight from the Kellogg’s box which read, “We provide high quality, great tasting products for you and your family.” With that as his mantra, Powell has since sold over twenty million tasty musical products for familles in forty-three countries.Powell notes, “Most musicians think of Nashville, Los Angeles or New York as recording centers. For me it has always been Battle Creek, Michigan….the home of Kellogg’s”

Filed by Gary Powell at 11:19 am under Fun Press Releases
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Jesmax Music, BMI, owned by Austin composer Gary Powell, is pleased to have placed the song Go, Go Bananas by Texas songwriters, Chris Martin and Gary Powell on the Walt Disney Records album The Jungle is Jumpin’. The album will be released October 2, 2007 as a Wal-Mart exclusive product celebrating The Jungle Book’s 40th Anniversary Edition.

Originally written in 1997 for a George of the Jungle project which was never realized, Powell easily adapted the “Go, Go Bananas” lyric for the new and obviously more jammin’ and jumpin’ jungle.

The song was produced in Austin, Texas by Gary Powell and all the vocals were sung by longtime Walt Disney World performer David Wise who luckily for us is now residing and singing in Austin.

The Jungle is Jumpin’ will also include three other Chris Martin and Gary Powell songs, “He’s a Lucky Snake”, “Queen of the Jungle”, and “Dino Beat” all published by Wonderland Music Company, Inc. (BMI).

Album Executive Producer: Ted Kryczko
Mastering Engineer: Jeff Sheridan, Soundworks, NoHo, California
Song Producer: Gary Powell for The Bare Necessities, I Wan’na Be Like You, He’s a Lucky, Lucky Snake, Queen of the Jungle, Never Smile at a Crocodile, Baloo, Go Go Bananas and Dino Beat

Read the Song Lyrics

Filed by Gary Powell at 2:16 am under Jesmax Music, BMI
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