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Jazz singer Jessie Laine Powell has been performing in local venues since the 1980s. She is known by many in Lexington for, more recently, portraying Billie Holiday in the 2012 local production “Lady Day.” Photo furnished.
Local jazz vocalist Jessie Laine Powell gears up for album release celebration
Lexington-based jazz singer Jessie Laine Powell likens the recurring presence of music in her life to a dog that keeps jumping in your lap.
“I tried to set it down, but it wouldn’t let me,” said Powell, who attempted several times throughout her life to step away from music and focus on a different career. “Music has always been my solace. I could never bring myself to do anything else.”
Powell believes music has the power to make lives whole, and on May 26, she hopes to share that power with a live audience, as she celebrates the release of her sophomore album, “Fill the Void.” The release will coincide with a special show at the Downtown Arts Center benefitting the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center.
Born in Winchester, Kentucky, Powell was the youngest girl in a family of six. The daughter of a clergyman, she grew up surrounded by gospel music. From the age of 8, she remembers being captivated by Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Horn, Sarah Vaughn, Nancy Wilson and “The Lawrence Welk Show.” Today, she has combined gospel-inspired vocals with both classic and contemporary jazz to create her own musical style.
When Powell was growing up in Winchester, a neighbor recognized the young singer’s potential and trained her not only in voice, but also in posture, etiquette and self-esteem. In both middle and high school, she was taken under the wings of music teachers who helped develop her talent. She spent her teenage years holed up in her bedroom listening to records and working on her voice, and was offered her first paying gig – singing in a local country club – at the age of 14. During her 20s, Powell’s career gained momentum when she landed a gig with R&B/Motown act The Trendells. Later, she was scouted by Mike Allen and began singing at a former Chevy Chase jazz club, The Bistro, and other Lexington nightspots like 1880 and Café Mac’s.
After a taste of local fame, Powell followed her love of music to Los Angeles, where she added television, theatrical and radio appearances to her list of accomplishments. But in the midst of her success, she was struggling with personal tragedy and loss, including coming to terms with repressed memories of sexual abuse. She returned to Lexington, where she rediscovered her spiritual roots and the healing power of music.
“On the outside, I had everything going for me, but I was broken inside,” she recalled. “But music kept me breathing. It kept me existing.”
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Powell will donate a portion of proceeds from the May 26 album release show to the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center. Photo furnished.
Powell enrolled in the University of Kentucky’s music program and resolved to get back on track. At the time, she was primarily interested in gospel music and her path of self-healing. But by chance, she became reacquainted with an old friend, producer and jazz artist Eric Copeland. The two began a project that would change the course of her career – her debut album, “On the Edge.” Copeland encouraged Powell to write the songs herself, a skill she possessed but had never taken seriously. During a six-year period, while working a day job and staying up late writing music, Powell completed her album. In 2004, she performed a sold-out premiere show at the Kentucky Theater.
When Powell’s daughter graduated from college, Powell decided to quit her job and focus on making music her career. With the support of her husband, Art, she went back to the studio. Collaborating with Copeland again, she recorded her second release, “Fill the Void,” at Playground Studios in Nashville. The medley of traditional jazz and contemporary jazz gospel, along with her powerful vocal performances, takes the listener on an intimate journey of rejuvenation, self-acceptance and inspiration.
“I am healed,” she said. “And I want to be the voice that heals others. I want to let them know they can get through anything and move clearly and fully into their destinies.”
To help provide services to other survivors of sexual abuse, Powell will donate 30 percent of the ticket sales from her album release to the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center. The event will include a special VIP reception at 5:30 p.m. with appetizers by Chef Renata Riley and special seating. CDs will be available for purchase.
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“I am going to do a song with my husband and with my daughter. It’s going to be a night of love,” she said.
While Powell’s path was not without obstacles, she is confident that everything in her life has led her to the place she is now. With her sights set on national recognition for her work in keeping the jazz standards alive, she hopes this album will be the first step toward not only enhancing her own career, but also helping encourage others on their paths of achievement and self-acceptance.
“This is my full-time business now – my life is filled with music,” she said. “If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. Live your dream. Even if you have to work part-time, find it and live it.” ss