Biography
Odean Pope stands out as a passionate and frequently forceful tenor saxophonist who arose within Philadelphia’s storied jazz lineage, a scene that produced figures such as Khan Jamal, Jimmy Heath, Archie Shepp, Rufus Harley, and Byard Lancaster, in addition to John Coltrane, the latter of whom personally recommended Pope to take his place in Jimmy Smith’s band upon Coltrane’s departure for the Miles Davis quintet. Beyond performance, Pope works as a composer, arranger, and musical theorist whose signature approach fuses the gospel traditions of the Southern Baptist Church from his upbringing with elements of bop, modal, and free jazz along with fourth-system harmonics. Beginning in the 1980s he issued leader dates such as Out for a Walk, while earlier he had established the funky jazz ensemble Catalyst during the 1970s and the widely admired Saxophone Choir, whose influential 1985 debut The Saxophone Shop shaped numerous large reed ensembles worldwide. With additional groups he has appeared on more than half a dozen avant-garde imprints including Soul Note, CIMP, Porter, and Moers Music. The 1982 release Almost Like Me introduced him to broader jazz audiences already familiar with his central role in Max Roach’s quartet, and subsequent leader efforts such as 1990’s Epitome and 2011’s Universal Sounds, the latter featuring Marshall Allen, have reinforced his reputation for steady innovation.
Although born in South Carolina, Pope was raised in Philadelphia, where he received formative instruction from Ron Rubin, principal woodwind player with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. He later attended the Paris Conservatory for Music under drummer and composer Kenny Clarke, earning certification in orchestration, modern harmony, African rhythms, bop, and arranging. Upon returning to the United States he studied with pianist Ray Bryant and performed with organist Jimmy McGriff as well as Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Pope first collaborated with Roach in the late 1960s, though a decade passed before he joined the drummer’s group on a steady basis, remaining until 1995. He also directed Catalyst, a jazz-funk unit that issued acclaimed Warner albums before disbanding in 1974. In 1977 he formed the Saxophone Choir, an occasional ensemble of nine saxophones plus rhythm section that recorded four post-bop albums between 1986 and 2006.
While many contemporaries relocated to New York for greater opportunities, Pope stayed in Philadelphia, refining his personal style through local work supplemented by regular New York appearances and sporadic festival and club engagements across Europe and Japan. His playing draws on varied sources yet consistently projects a muscular, emotionally resonant tone and an innate musicality that reaches listeners across the jazz spectrum. That evolution is documented on recordings such as the avant-garde Almost Like Me from 1982, the intimate 1995 session Changes & Chances with pianist Dave Burrell, the modal Serenity of 2008, and the swinging 2012 date Odean’s Three featuring drummer Billy Hart and bassist Lee Smith. In 2017 Pope’s quartet, comprising Smith, drummer Craig McIver, and pianist Bobby Zankel, released Fresh Breeze on CIMP.
Although born in South Carolina, Pope was raised in Philadelphia, where he received formative instruction from Ron Rubin, principal woodwind player with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. He later attended the Paris Conservatory for Music under drummer and composer Kenny Clarke, earning certification in orchestration, modern harmony, African rhythms, bop, and arranging. Upon returning to the United States he studied with pianist Ray Bryant and performed with organist Jimmy McGriff as well as Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Pope first collaborated with Roach in the late 1960s, though a decade passed before he joined the drummer’s group on a steady basis, remaining until 1995. He also directed Catalyst, a jazz-funk unit that issued acclaimed Warner albums before disbanding in 1974. In 1977 he formed the Saxophone Choir, an occasional ensemble of nine saxophones plus rhythm section that recorded four post-bop albums between 1986 and 2006.
While many contemporaries relocated to New York for greater opportunities, Pope stayed in Philadelphia, refining his personal style through local work supplemented by regular New York appearances and sporadic festival and club engagements across Europe and Japan. His playing draws on varied sources yet consistently projects a muscular, emotionally resonant tone and an innate musicality that reaches listeners across the jazz spectrum. That evolution is documented on recordings such as the avant-garde Almost Like Me from 1982, the intimate 1995 session Changes & Chances with pianist Dave Burrell, the modal Serenity of 2008, and the swinging 2012 date Odean’s Three featuring drummer Billy Hart and bassist Lee Smith. In 2017 Pope’s quartet, comprising Smith, drummer Craig McIver, and pianist Bobby Zankel, released Fresh Breeze on CIMP.
Albums
