jnj: Since you don't have a website right now with more infos about you, please tell me something about your life. What and who have turned you into (jazz)music and made you record your debut album?
Buford Powers: Well it really begin when I heard my first music, when ever that was. Music just touches the very passion in me, the other name for that is love. I'm a micro- business owner I own one tractor and two trailers (18 wheelers).
At some point I found myself driving across the United States, of course I needed a co-driver, and she just happen to be musically trained. I would sometimes while driving In the wee hours of the morning begin to sing. Mary started to tell me I have a wonderful voice and I should take lessons, well as you might guess I took it with a grain of salt, until the day she sat down and site read and played (The Windmills of Your Mind, lyric by Marilyn and Alan Bergman- music by Michel Legrand). I trusted her opinion, but it took her illiness to lite a fire in me to get those lessons.


jnj: You said that Taj Mahal heard you sing at a Open Mic in Northern California and that you've spoken to him. What influence had he on you and your music?
Buford Powers: Taj Mahal's influence was his incouragement to do the CD. I asked him how many times he'd heard me sing, I was suprised he said three, so he begin to tell about making the product, just the fact I was talking to Taj was all the influence this cat needed. That was summer 2001, the following year I attended jazz camp west were I met Marcus Shelby he and Jason Martineau formed a band and I got my nose in there of course :-). I met Jason the same place I met Taj, only at different times my friendship with Jason has been the biggest reason for my rapped improvement.


jnj: How did you find the musicians for your Too Good To Be True album and how long did it take you all to record the album?
Buford Powers: Calvin Keyes and I go back a way's, not professional, but because he as made the bayarea his home I had been to some of his show's over the years he even sat in at my night club, he attended the Jazz camp, that gave my everyone except the drummer whom I met the day of the recording it just happen Donald (Duck) Bailey lived next door to the person (Graham Bruce) that did my music charts.
We recorded the CD in one night I had to have the best, The cats would run threw the arrangement once, and we would record, there was no rehearsal, no one had played together before. I sure hope the next CD can be done without resources being an issue, however I am proud of the work we five cat did that summer night 2003. All things considered the upside will be off the chart.


jnj: As an independent artists you usually have a closer contact to your listeners. What kind of reactions did you get so far?
Buford Powers: I hope the sample reactions I have been getting from the people, who tell me what they hear and think is just the begining of a larger concurrence. They say my voice is smooth, warm, calming, and melodious. The every day people are very pleased. I fill up the local club, I sang in on thursday nights.


jnj: You've recorded twelve cover versions for your debut album. Do you plan to record some original compositons on future releases?
Buford Powers: The songs I recorded on my debut album are cover tunes, and I hope to someday find my signature song(s) as well as some originals, it is nice to be compeared to Johnny Hartman and all, but they ain't heard nothing yet :-). What I mean is there is so much in me to bring out, all things in time, and in time all things.


jnj: Which of the songs on Too Good To Be True are your favourites and why?
Buford Powers: I really can't say I have a favorite because I like them all, but if I pick the one that carries the message that gives the best reflection of the things hoped for it would be Too Good To Be True).