1 minute read
Ken Powe - The Creative
Interview
Ken Powe is a recording artist and music producer from Birmingham, Alabama. He attended The University of Alabama and earned a BA and MA in English and an MBA.
Ken studied classical piano at age 8 and began his experience in live performance by playing in recitals He learned to play other instruments in elementary and high school, where he was required to learn the rudiments of every brass and string instrument and sing lead tenor in his high school concert choir which toured nationally By the age of 16, he began playing trombone professionally with the Birmingham Heritage Band a group of Big Band jazz players composed of instrumentalists who actually played with Golden Age Jazz legends like Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Erskine Hawkins and played piano and organ for Gospel groups and churches
After college, Ken played keyboards in cover bands and stood out to audiences and other musicians because of his signature classical and jazz influenced improvisational style. This led to him becoming a side man and backup keyboardist to some of the most well-known Pop, R&B, Blues and Gospel artists in the 90’s when they were on tour in the Southeast. He began recording with some of these artists and then used his musical knowledge and versatility to become a music producer and Vice President/A&R of a record label that specialized in Urban music.
From broadcast videos and live recordings, people in other countries began to take notice of Ken’s skills as a classical, jazz and Gospel pianist In 2003, he began performing solo concerts on the grand piano in Europe, traveling to Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, France and Great Britain Until the pandemic year of 2020, he would perform in Europe every year to standing room only audiences in cathedrals, palaces and concert halls
In 2009, Ken began a new journey into becoming a solo recording artist when he wrote, produced, engineered and played every instrument on his debut album, Journey (as Kenneth Powe), a compilation of acoustic and electronic spa music After Journey, Ken wrote and produced songs for many Smooth Jazz artists from his home and later released his own Smooth Jazz album in 2016, Conception. This album, though not very well known except to a number of college radio listeners in the US, was nonetheless critically acclaimed and earned Ken his first Grammy consideration in 2017. His second Grammy consideration came in 2018 with the release of his second Smooth Jazz album, Misinformation Age. His breakout hit, “First Love,” came with his fourth studio album, Steppin’, which garnered much praise and a following on YouTube along with unprecedented commercial success. In all, Ken recorded, produced and independently released five Smooth Jazz albums as a solo artist over a period of seven years
Ken Powe’s current album is On the Level which was released in February 2023 The first release from this project is “Amore Roma” and has gotten a tremendous response from Smooth Jazz listeners
around the world Since its release, it has been ranked by listeners among the Top 50 current Smooth Jazz songs globally according to Smooth Jazz com
THS: You have been in the industry for decades, tell us what made you decide to be serious about the music industry?
KP: Playing music and performing are what I enjoy doing most of all. I believed doing it as a career would make me happy..
THS: You have had great success over the years with many artists. Tell us more about your experiences?
KP: Although I don’t drop names, I can say that I got the opportunity to play with some of the biggest R&B artists around back in the 90’s as a backup keyboardist and recording session artist
THS: What has been the most memorable moment for you while working with artists?
KP: Meeting Beyonce and Jay-Z at the Grammys in 2017.
TTHS: Who has had the most influence on your career and why?
KP: Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff They made me want to be a music producer because their gift was composing and arranging songs made popular by iconic artists that everyone loved.
THS: What keeps you going when things get tough in the business?
KP: Faith. Acting on what I believe even though everything and everyone tells me to quit.
THS: What advice can you give other individuals who want to follow in your footsteps?
KP: Be your own person Don’t try to be like other people even if they are successful Individuality, not imitation, is greatness
THS: What does a typical day in your week look like for you?
KP: I’m usually struggling to find a balance between my artistic expression, business interests and taking care of my father and aunt who both have dementia.
THS: Did you have a “I want to give up” moment in your career?
KP: Yes, many times I recorded four solo albums before I charted my first song. Radio stations, promoters and booking venues all ignored me.
THS: What does the future hold for Ken Powe?
KP: A brief concert tour in Germany coming in August (first since The Pandemic); publish my manuscript of a novel I finished last year; resume background acting in Atlanta for TV shows and movies; finish working on my erotic fiction.
THS: How can fans reach you on social media?
KP: Instagram: KenP keys; TikTok: @KenPowekeyartist; Twitter:@KenP918; Facebook: Ken Powe (personal), Smooth Jazz by Ken Powe(artist page)
THS: Any golden nuggets you would like to share with your fans?
KP: Once did a cameo on the hit TV series, P-Valley. Had an off-screen interaction with one of the lead actresses.
