Age: 52
male
Kemp Powers is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for his play One Night in Miami and the 2020 film adaptation of the same name, as well as for co-directing the animated films Soul (2020) and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). His screenplay for One Night in Miami... earned him a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination at the 93rd Academy Awards, while his work on Soul made him the first African-American to co-direct a Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar feature. Powers was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 96th Academy Awards. Description above from the Wikipedia article Kemp Powers, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Kemp Powers
Writer
for Writer in Inner Urge: The Joe Henderson Story
Suggested by kamsismith
"Inner Urge" is a powerful, character-driven miniseries that follows the life and music of Joe Henderson, a jazz tenor saxophonist whose signature sound and spirit captivated audiences for over four decades. From his early days in Ohio to his rise on the Blue Note scene in New York, the series explores Henderson’s journey as an artist deeply dedicated to his craft, yet equally beset by the racial, social, and economic hardships faced by many Black musicians of his time. With the soundtrack of an era that defined a generation, we watch Joe carve out his place in jazz history, collaborating with luminaries like Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, and Freddie Hubbard, while also wrestling with his own "inner urge" to push the boundaries of his art. As Joe matures, he becomes a central figure in defining jazz fusion, bossa nova, and modal jazz, constantly challenging and transforming the genre. Each episode spotlights a different period and musical milestone, from his days recording classics like Page One and Mode for Joe with Blue Note Records, to his triumphant return to the spotlight in the ’80s and ’90s with Verve, where he won Grammy Awards and proved that true artistry has no expiration.
