Odean Pope

Odean Pope?  Who the heck is this guy?  I had to Google ‘im to find out. 

A Philadelphia founding father of jazz saxophone, composer, arranger and educator, Odean Pope. Ephemeral is not typically what one thinks when hearing Odean Pope, described as a “tenor terror” (Jazz Times, 6/06) who is solidly grounded by marbleized harmonies and tones.

That is what his own website says, and who am I to say otherwise?  I chanced upon his entry in the latest Penguin Guide (may its pages be praised) and I was led to The Ponderer, by The Odean Pope Saxophone Choir.  Holy buckets! 

This is one of those recordings that seems to try to squeeze everything you’ve ever loved onto one cd.  From an almost Dixieland chorus to some avant garde squealing, this one has range and a richly deep vein of ore.  It mines that ore with extraordinary power.  Here’s the lineup [from Discogs]:

• Alto Saxophone [First] – Julian Pressley
• Alto Saxophone [Second] – Sam Reed
• Alto Saxophone [Third] – Byard Lancaster
• Baritone Saxophone – Joe Sudler
• Double Bass [Upright Bass] – Tyrone Brown
• Drums – Cornell Rochester
• Electric Bass – Gerald Veasley
• Piano – Eddie Green (3)
• Tenor Saxophone [First] – Bob Howell
• Tenor Saxophone [Fourth] – John Simon
• Tenor Saxophone [Second] – Glenn Guidone
• Tenor Saxophone [Third] – Middy Middleton
• Tenor Saxophone, Leader, Soloist – Odean Pope

This is very solid jazz.  Get it for your collection.