Roger Powell (musician)
| Roger Powell | |
|---|---|
Powell performing at a concert in Arcosanti with Utopia, 1978
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Roger Powell |
| Born | 14 March 1949 |
| Genres | Rock, electronica |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Sound Engineer, Programmer |
| Instruments | Vocals, synthesizer, keyboards, trumpet, guitar |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Labels | Bearsville, Inner Knot, Unicorn Digital |
| Associated acts | Utopia, Todd Rundgren |
| Website | Roger Powell official website |
Roger Powell (born March 14, 1949) is a musician, programmer, and magazine columnist best known for his membership with the rock band Utopia.
Powell's musical career started in the late 1960s, programming analog synthesizers for commercials. Powell was the protégé of Robert Moog (who created the Moog synthesizer), as well as Moog's competitor ARP, contributing designs and demonstrating systems.
Powell played keyboards and synthesizers with the rock band Utopia, led by Todd Rundgren and featuring players Kasim Sulton and Willie Wilcox, among others, from 1974 until its disbanding in 1985, playing, writing, and singing on ten of the band's eleven albums. For Utopia's live shows, Powell created the Powell Probe; the first remote, hand-held polyphonic synthesizer controller, which featured a custom-made shell used to access a complex stack of sequencers and other peripherals offstage, a device also used in a modified form by Jan Hammer.
His first solo album Cosmic Furnace was released in 1973 and described by Billboard magazine's reviewer as "...a fascinating, demanding LP that has all the hypnotic eeriness of the recent Miles Davis approach". He produced several additional solo albums, and was a touring musician with David Bowie and others.
In October 2006, after a long absence from music recording, Roger released Fossil Poets with musicians Gary Tanin and Greg Koch. The music is described as electronic / prog rock 'retro-futuristic'.
In March 2009, Roger released Blue Note Ridge with producer Gary Tanin. The music is described as solo piano improvisations. He occasionally performs with Bay Area folk musician and friend David Elias, plus other local, roots musicians. Informal live performances have been hosted and recorded at the San Gregorio General Store.
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