Teddy_Powell
Teddy Powell
Musical artist
Teddy Powell (born Teodoro Paolella; March 1, 1905 – November 17, 1993)[1] was an American jazz musician, band leader, composer, and arranger. Some of his compositions were written under the pseudonym Freddy James.
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Born in Oakland, California, Powell began playing violin when he was eight and picked up the banjo when he was fourteen.[2] During the late 1920s to the early 1930s, he was a member of the Abe Lyman orchestra,[3] taking on the additional tasks of gathering radio bands. He formed the Teddy Powell Orchestra in 1939 and it performed through the 1940s.[3] Powell's sidemen included Tony Aless, Gus Bivona, Pete Candoli, Irving Fazola, and Charlie Ventura, but his best sideman left for better paying work.[2]
"Snake Charmer", a song Powell published in 1937 (with lyrics by Leonard Whitcup), is still a popular song among partner dancers in Finland, where it is usually performed as a translation: "Kuningaskobra fi"). It placed 69th on the 1952-1959 Finnish charts,[4] and is still being recorded by modern performers, as listed in the recordings database of the Finnish national broadcasting company Yle.[5]
After the band folded, Powell wrote music and arrangements.[3] He had hits with "Bewildered" and "If My Heart Could Only Talk". During the latter part of his career, he worked in music publishing.[2]
Powell moved to Newark, New Jersey where he opened his club Teddy P's.[6][7][8] managed by Clarence Avant.