The saxophonist Odean Pope (born October 24, 1938), who saw Ibn Ali as a mentor, was in the quartet that recorded the lost album in 1965.
photo: Frans Schellekens/Redferns, Via Getty Images
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The saxophonist Odean Pope (born October 24, 1938), who saw Ibn Ali as a mentor, was in the quartet that recorded the lost album in 1965.
photo: Frans Schellekens/Redferns, Via Getty Images
Jamaaladeen Tacuma & Odean Pope - The Lighthouse - Philly jazz greats together on new album
In 2022 Jamaaladeen had been awarded an “Art Works” grant From Forman Arts Initiative and Philadelphia Foundation. This grant afforded him the opportunity to gather seasoned musical icons and the “next generation” ( of icons) that caught his eye for several studio sessions that all exemplify Philadelphias rich musical legacy and artists that resides here which gave birth to his new artist collective THE PHILLY IMPROV SOCIETY. Jamaaladeen’s sessions are meant to amplify the voices of these artists and pass on the mythical magical language of black creative music that happens in Philadelphia to the next generation of musicians . He is gathering not only Philly based artists but also prominent International renowned master improvisers he has met through his 50 year career. Tacuma starts where it all began with one of his musical mentors that was a teacher in the “Model Cities” Music Program in Philadelphia in the 1970’s Composer Odean Pope. He has influenced generations of musicians worldwide with his charismatic approach to education, mentorship and musical mastery and along side a teenage band mate from his earliest days playing live music in Philly, G. Calvin Weston. He invited music brother Marc Cary composer and keyboardist who has made his own mark on black music for his generation and Paul Giess an emerging star composer who exemplifies Philly’s next generation of musician that is carrying on the legacy of improvised music and Introducing on the scene Ru-Deep a mysterious sonic explorer on guitar and percussion . Odean Pope Sax Jamaaladeen Tacuma Bass G. Calvin Weston Drums Paul Giess Trumpet and Electronics Marc Cary Keyboards Ru-Deep Electric Guitar and Percussion
Odean Pope and Pharoah Sanders Interviewed
This 2014 conversation of Rhonda Hamilton with Odeon Pope and Pharoah Sanders took place at WBGO took place during one of the New York bookings of Odeon’s Saxophone Choir. It nice to hear from two great saxophonists who aren’t often interviewed.
-Michael Cuscuna
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Barber's Hall: Philadelphia Jazz Venue Hangs On
Every major city has a legendary night spot where major talent found its first stage. Music-rich Phildelphia had a few, including Barber’s Hall. Despite tempting offers from developers to sell, current owner Jake Adams is keeping the doors open. Brandon Harden chronicles the bar’s rich history in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
-Michael Cuscuna
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Odean Pope on Lee Morgan
One more collateral benefit of I Called Him Morgan, the Kasper Collin's powerful documentary on Lee Morgan: Susan Lewis's WRTI interview with Odean Pope, who recounts in vivid detail the days and nights he spent growing up with Lee Morgan in Philadelphia. Don't miss this.
-Nick Moy
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Odean Pope at the Big Ears Festival 2022
Odean Pope at the Big Ears Festival 2022
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CIMP Round Up
Creative Improvised Music Projects (CIMP) launched in 1995 and immediately courted controversy on multiple fronts from its niche listening audience. Foremost among criticisms was the label’s stalwart approach to recording. Literal in-house engineer, Marc Rusch espoused a minimalist ethos emphasizing an avoidance of digital processing and spartan microphone placement in the service of documenting musicians in as close to transparent conditions as possible. The techniques resulted in a fidelity that could feel dampened and distractingly quiet to the unaccustomed ear, particularly regarding unamplified strings.
Next amongst objections was the choice of studio. Dates requiring a piano relied on a conservatory hall in a neighboring locale, but most sessions took place in a living room setting, christened The Spirit Room, where acoustics reflected natural and meteorological effects such as heat, humidity, and precipitation. The label was also resolute in applying its DIY aesthetic to a roster of musicians with fiercely DIY sensibilities. Free jazz and improvisation constituted the chosen purview and CIMP only rarely strayed from the staunch focus.
Over the next two decades, CIMP released an astonishingly prolific catalog of over four-hundred albums. Many of the musicians recorded had little to no recourse in releasing music through other means. Once “signed,” most of them also returned for multiple projects over the span of years, building to their bodies of work on an independent label committed to getting their music into the hands and ears of those who would appreciate it. Easier said than accomplished, and a facetious informal tagline for CIMP artists surfaced and stuck, “welcome to obscurity.”
The vagaries and vicissitudes of the music industry have led to various hiatuses for CIMP and the temporary tabling of its mission, but at the close of 2021 the label surprised with a quartet of trio releases after a three-year silence. Capsule reviews of each follow.
The Misled Children Meet Odean Pope - Uno (Porter Records)