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David Powell
02-14-2007, 03:45 PM
Saint David, whoever he was, was the patron saint of Wales. Powell is a Welsh name derivative of Howell meaning "son of Howell". Apparently "Howell" (Howl?) had quite a few of those sons, making Powell a very common Welsh name. So if one googles "David Powell", there will be hundreds of thousands of references. Most of those if not all of them have nothing to do with me. Locally, (Atlanta) there are at least 6 David Powells. So being David Powell is complicated even here in Atlanta and certainly so on the web.

A few years ago I wanted to start a web site showcasing my photographic work. There were already two David Powell's of international stature represented on the web. In fact there's a guy named David Powell doing all of the things I have ever done in life, sometimes more than one, and none of them is this guy here;- me. So I invented what was at the time a unique internet moniker for myself that referred specifically to my talents in the darkroom with silver salt chemistry. As many of my photographic colleagues regarded me as a kind of chemical magician of sorts, I presented myself on the web as Silversorcerer. As pixels gradually replaced silver crystal grains and imagery became something different than silver based, my web presence shifted to music, but in remembrance of my first and most developed talent, I remained the Silversorcerer on the web. At some point the web got grown up, and fictitious avatars, usernames, etc. are now regarded as taboo. Too many hide behind them seeking pseudo-anonimity. Ironically, it was to be distinguished from a crowd that I originally used my web moniker, not to be invisible.

So I am David Powell, the unknown;- amateur bassist, aspiring bass luthier, former professional commercial photographer, sometimes real estate investor, and the photographic artist formerly known as Silversorcerer.

I started music education in grade school with piano. My father was a major influence and had a well developed classical recording collection that was played often when I was a child. When I could get away with it, I would sneak over to the stereo and turn up the bass. By the time I was five, I could recognize many works by Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, etc. I began playing in the horn band (cornet) when I was 12 and was second chair in the varsity marching band (yes with all the high schoolers) when I was still in the 8th grade. Braces on my teeth put an early end to playing cornet and my new interest in rock music led to me taking up bass guitar and learning by ear from Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, and just about any other recording that was available. Sheet music I could read then, but most of the rock transcriptions available were just plain out wrong, so I learned bass guitar by ear. I lived in a small town and luthiers were no where to be found, so setting up the bridge on my Fender P and making truss rod adjustments came to me early by trial and error. I finally got it right through determination. We had no electronic tuners then. You had to have good ears.

I played in cover bands throughout high school. My gear had to pay it's own way because my family had a moddest income then. The bands were Smokin' Topaz, Passion, and Frate. We played skating rinks, National Guard Armories, Lion's Clubs, etc. Where ever we could get a crowd. I got an academic scholarship to a good school and as soon as I got there started looking for musicians to form a band. Not many good musicians were around in college. The most notable players I played with then were part of a pick-up birthday party band. I was in my dorm one day when Tinsley Ellis and a friend of his came by and swiped me up with my gear and hauled me off to play this birthday party. He asked me if I knew how to play Boney Maroney. I said, "Well, yeah." I had no idea who he was. The other guitarist in that band was Peter Buck, now of REM fame. Peter could barely play then but Tinsley was already great. I still see Tinsley play here a good bit, but I have never kept up with Peter.

My brother and I finally succeeded in putting together a improvisationally based psychedellic band called Laughing Sam's Dice. It only lasted two years, but in 1979, it was way ahead of the jam band scene currently flourishing. We were trying to do that kind of thing while disco was still "sucking" and the new wave was just not where we were at musically. Laughing Sam's Dice ended when the singer graduated in 1980. Later my brother and I formed other bands with limited success. Giving up the commercial direction entirely we focused on deconstructive art music incorporating Spoken Word performers, I with Scapeweavel and he with the Durians. About the only thing like what we were doing would be some odd cross of Captain Beefheart, Mingus's Symposium, Laurie Anderson, and William Burroughs. Stephen, my brother, is now a professional recording engineer and retired Microsoft Systems Engineer (Bullmoondigital.com).

My interest in bass guitar was renewed when I was approached to back up a blue grass duo, which became a trio. Soon those fellows wanted me to get an "upright" and I had always wanted one, so soon I was checking out how and where to find a suitable beastie. Finally I got one of the Kremona -Bulgaria 7/8(4/4) 5-Stringers. Concurrently, I was using my old Fender P to Phil in the lines for a Grateful Dead tribute band, DROP. I found it a real pain switching from 4 strings to 5 and back and to resolve the confusion, I bought a nice fretless 5-string (0506) Jens Ritter EBG, and soon got another similar one (0448) with frets. I was out shopping for a Ken Smith (truly) but there was only one 5-er (real nice Black Tiger) I could find and it was fretted and I was really wanting a fretless. I tried out and totally fell for this really sweetheart of a Ritter fretless 5 Roya, but you never know. I might get that Smith fretless 5-er bass yet.

My current bass guitar and double bass playing situations are with DROP (psychedelic rock-n-roll), The 5th Sundays (Diverse jazz), Free Translation (improv fusion), and Pair O' Normal Guys (folk rock duo). We play local taverns, restaurants and private parties for minimums and tips. I try to stay away from free gigs unless it is for a charity.

Double bass luthierie and historical instruments are keen interests of mine though I have yet to begin my 1st DB. Something Ken McKay said to me about having an adequate work space caused me to postpone that project. That and the fact that the wood I bought was definitely not dry enough. So the first project has been to construct an actual workshop that can be dedicated to that use. That involved selling off some investment property and it took some time. I think the result will be worth the delay. It is currently under construction (moving along well, weather permitting). We should be getting the leaks out of the roof soon and putting the steel siding on next week with luck. My guitarist from the 5th Sundays, Michael Mettee is the designer and builder. The building will incorporate a good deal of late passive solar energy technology, which is another interest of mine.

Arnold Schnitzer
02-15-2007, 08:53 AM
What's your real name? :D

David Powell
02-15-2007, 02:10 PM
What's your real name? :DAfter a few more posts, I don't think there will be any doubt. Is that really you, Arnold??? ;) I mean the sketicism is unusual.

Robert Palmer
03-16-2007, 08:04 AM
Hi David - Just a little bit of obscure Welsh history for you and for others who read your post. I am sending this as a Welshman myself although I now live in Felixstowe, Suffolk (UK). For those of you who don't know, Wales is a principlaity of the UK and is attached to England on the left hand side (near Ireland and nearest the USA). Oh - and one piece of advice - never call a Welshman English, whatever his accent! :mad:

The reason Powell is a common name in Wales, along with Evans, Morgan, Williams etc, is historical. Hundreds of years ago (not sure when), as teh population of the UK grew (before it was actually the UK, incidentally), some King or other decided that, in order to ensure that people were readily identifiable, introduced the concept of the surname, insisting that all his subjects take a second name. Thus the son of Richard became RIchardson etc. Some English took their profession as a surname (Baker, Miller, Butcher etc) and the whole thing ran along very smoothly. ;)

Except in Wales. :p

Now the Welsh have long considered the English to be an invading force and, at this point in history, the emotions ran a lot higher. The English had even banned the Welsh language (which is only now making a comeback - I can't speak it but my nephews and neices can). The Welsh remain at least a little suspicious of the English even today. Now, in response to the King's requirement to take a second name, whole villages, outraged :mad: at the demands of this unwelcome interloper, all took the same name! :D So, the 'State' had 1000s of Morgan's, Evans', Williams and, clearly, Powell's. Thus, the Welsh gave the King of England the proverbial finger in a BIG way! I guess thats what you call passive resistance!

These events still have wide consequences today as there are dozens of branches of each family name that have absolutely no genetic connection whatsoever. So you can't assume that anyone called Evans is even remotely related to anyone else called Evans.

Anyway, hope that story amuses you as much as it does me - now I'll go and get a life....

Richard Prowse
03-16-2007, 08:51 PM
I think Prowse might be a Welsh name.

Arnold Schnitzer
03-17-2007, 08:52 AM
David, my stepdaughter is related to Colin Powell. Does that make us kinfolk? :rolleyes:

David Powell
12-03-2007, 01:32 PM
Hi David - Just a little bit of obscure Welsh history for you and for others who read your post. I am sending this as a Welshman myself although I now live in Felixstowe, Suffolk (UK). For those of you who don't know, Wales is a principlaity of the UK and is attached to England on the left hand side (near Ireland and nearest the USA). Oh - and one piece of advice - never call a Welshman English, whatever his accent! :mad:

The reason Powell is a common name in Wales, along with Evans, Morgan, Williams etc, is historical. Hundreds of years ago (not sure when), as teh population of the UK grew (before it was actually the UK, incidentally), some King or other decided that, in order to ensure that people were readily identifiable, introduced the concept of the surname, insisting that all his subjects take a second name. Thus the son of Richard became RIchardson etc. Some English took their profession as a surname (Baker, Miller, Butcher etc) and the whole thing ran along very smoothly. ;)

Except in Wales. :p

Now the Welsh have long considered the English to be an invading force and, at this point in history, the emotions ran a lot higher. The English had even banned the Welsh language (which is only now making a comeback - I can't speak it but my nephews and neices can). The Welsh remain at least a little suspicious of the English even today. Now, in response to the King's requirement to take a second name, whole villages, outraged :mad: at the demands of this unwelcome interloper, all took the same name! :D So, the 'State' had 1000s of Morgan's, Evans', Williams and, clearly, Powell's. Thus, the Welsh gave the King of England the proverbial finger in a BIG way! I guess thats what you call passive resistance!

These events still have wide consequences today as there are dozens of branches of each family name that have absolutely no genetic connection whatsoever. So you can't assume that anyone called Evans is even remotely related to anyone else called Evans.

Anyway, hope that story amuses you as much as it does me - now I'll go and get a life....What a wonderful story, Robert. Hundreds of years later, the BIG finger at the system persists! Passive Resistance be thy NAME! Poot thot into yer google pipe and smook it, yer TIA igots! And a good Welsh heritage indeed! A Powell I will be by Saint David! Until the death and taxes have been forgotten (in that order preferably). And think of it;- to this day, it is so easy to find a David Powell, compared to how hard it is to know which one you have found. ;) I'm so amused by the story that there must be a bit Welsh in the blood for sure;- while which Welsh we can only wonder. So I am aptly named. A no-one born of a certain rebellious nature while of uncertain identity. I think there must be a virtual hoard of David Powells laughing at the uncommon good fortune of having an all too common name. Who, me? :o Are you sure it wasn't him?:o Or perhaps him?:o

David Powell
01-14-2008, 02:22 PM
Good question, Arnold, or perhaps you are kin to "not me".

You see, it gets freaky being "me";- once in a while it gets really freaky: Like here is a photo (http://hometown.aol.com/pbudlo/images/david1.jpg) of a doppelganger bassist named "me", playing a vintage Fender, just like my '73 down to the rosewood and tortoise. Anyone googling me that read my gear profile would say, "Yup. We gotta match here!" His gray might put him within a few years of my age;- his father also died of cancer within 10 years of my own father's death from cancer. He spent some time playing in bands with his brother as I did, though those names and instruments played are different.

See why a more unique web alias might be more definitive than a given name? After all, neither "not me" nor I are famous players as "me". It becomes an existential question eventually. :o

David Powell
01-14-2008, 02:50 PM
And then there's the times I introduce myself to other musicians and they say something like, Oh, yeah, I've heard your playing on such and such website (http://ancestralvoices.net/), but it might have really been this guy (http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=771982&t=1) who is actually from Wales. And then I have to explain to those who probably think I'm not too proud of this or that context, or am "on the lamb", or some such nonsense that it's a "not me" that they have heard. "I'm a telling you;- It's a "NOT ME!" Then they think my English is bad. From now on I think I might tell them I am really Richard Prowse, newly relocated from Down Under.

In the end, you'll just have to take my word for who I am. There are some actual references showing up here (http://www.mindspring.com/%7Ekodac/live.htm);- it's the best I can do for the moment. :o