Meet the Collective: Shannon Powell

As a youth growing up in New Orleans' storied Faubourg Tremé, Shannon Powell was surrounded by music. By age 6, he was playing drums regularly for his church, the First Garden Christ Church. As his talent developed, it was a natural transition from the raw spiritualism and rhythms of his church to the driving grooves of traditional New Orleans jazz.

As a young man, he began visiting and performing at Preservation Hall alongside legends such as Cié Frasier and Freddie Coleman, and went on to perform and record with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Harry Connick Jr., Ellis Marsalis, Dr. John and countless others.

Today, Shannon is known as the "King of the Tremé" - a namesake of the storied neighborhood in which he grew up - and a leading force on the traditional jazz circuit. He also serves as an educator and clinician within the Preservation Hall Musical Collective, and has been featured at workshops presented at universities and jazz festivals all over the world.