By Pam Creech
Contributing Writer
Jerry Powell’s website displays an illustration of palm trees and a Tiki hut, surfboard leaned in the sand. Powell faces the ocean in a beach chair, guitar on his lap. It’s a reflection of his new album, “One Song at a Time,” which he said is a reminder to take his time with his work.
“It’s my way of telling myself to slow down and think about one song at the time,” Powell said.
Powell’s sound is inspired by guitarist/vocalist greats like Eric Clapton, and groups of his high school years like Crosby, Stills and Nash, whose harmonies, Powell said, are powerful.
Powell grew up in Rocky Mount, N.C, beginning acoustic guitar lessons at age 10 and adding bass guitar and vocals by his teenage years. He moved to Wilmington to attend the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history, then worked in the insurance industry for 30 years before turning his calling to music into a full-time job.
“I took an early retirement about eight years ago,” Powell explained. “It’s the best thing I ever did. It allowed me to focus on my music.”
Powell played and sang in more than 30 bands in the Wilmington area, including Sidewinder, Nightshift Band and Duoglide, before releasing his first solo album, “I’ll Take Paradise,” in 2008.
“I wanted to do something that would give me a chance to be more independent,” he said.
“One Song at a Time” includes a track entitled, “Freedom,” a love song Powell wrote after being inspired by Neil Young’s alternative guitar tuning method.
“It’s the freedom of two young people meeting at the beach and falling in love,” Powell said. “It has an ethereal feel. … It’s not a song you can snap your fingers to, but it emphasizes the guitar and vocal harmonies.”
In “Mariella,” which Powell wrote for his 7-year-old granddaughter, he pairs an upbeat melody with a bluesy slide guitar.
“I play this one almost everywhere I go,” he said. “It’s more of a pop song. … It changes key at one point. It’s more than a 12-bar blues song.”
Powell takes pride in his independence as a musician. With the exception of Mike Adams’ banjo playing on “Blue and Gray,” a Civil War ballad about two brothers, Powell sang and played each song on the album by himself.
“I like to keep it simple,” he said. “I have a little studio at my house where I do my recording.”
“One Song at a Time” will be available Friday, Dec. 19 as Powell plays at Sweet n Savory from 7-9 p.m. For more information on Powell and his music, visit www.jerrypowellmusic.com
