Odean Pope's Potent Free Jazz Universal Sounds

Saxophonist Odean Pope may be best known for his tenure with the late Max Roach, but was also part of the legendary cooperative group Catalyst and also the Saxophone Choir. The Philadelphia based tenor saxophonist is joined on his newest recording Universal Sounds (Porter Records) with Marshall Allen, one of the principal saxophonists with the late Sun Ra, on alto sax and electronic wind instruments, bassist Lee Smith and three drummers, Warren Smith, Craig McIver and Jim Hamilton creating an unusual setting for the performances here.

Listening to this CD, a number of reference points strike me. Custody of American Spirit, opens with Pope’s strong tenor contrasted with Allen’s electronic wind instrument followed by the Warren Smith’s employment use of percussion and what sounds like Indian chants and whoops backed by Lee Smith’s arco playing followed by Warren Smith’s timpani and the other drummers creating a wall of percussion as Pope and Allen, both on saxophones state the theme. Pope and Allen state the theme of Mwalimu with its African flavor followed by Lee Smith’s dueting with one (or more) of the drummers. The Binder conjures up some of the more intense free jazz of the sixties and seventies which evokes some of the recordings by Pharoah Sanders, Coltrane (particularly the latter recordings with Rashied Ali, including those which included Sanders and/or Donald Garrett). Allen follows with a furious solo with a fair amount of overblowing, screeches and honks set against the furious cacophony of the percussionists.

She Smiled Again is a more pensive composition with Pope’s ballad playing employing a slightly harsh vibrato with Lee Smith anchoring the performance while the drummers add their own accents here. Bassist Smith contributed the lively Go Figure, which is a lengthy bass feature with the drummers adding their comments. The Track by Allen has him on the electronic wind instrument contributing various electronic effects and sounds and engaging in a musical colloquy with Warren Smith on marimba and timpani. Allen’s playing here was interesting and suggests the possibility of electronics in the mix of usual wind instrument musical ideas with sounds one might associate more with, say, keyboard synthesizers. Blues opens with some driving percussion before the saxophones state the simple blues riff at the performance’s heart leading to fresh and robust blues playing by Pope (once again Lee Smith’s bass playing merits kudos) with some intense, fresh passages. A longer rendition of Custody of the American (Bullshit Version), concludes with Warren Smith’s wordless chanting supplemented by soft shouts of ‘Bullshit,” with more furious percussion by the trio of drummers.

There is powerful music here and when one considers that Pope is 72, Warren Smith is 76 and Marshall Allen is 86, one has to be astonished by the energy they impart into these performances. Obviously if one is not a fan of free jazz, this will not appeal to that individual. However, there is more on Universal Sounds than what might strike some as the frenzied cacophony during The Binder. Most of the performances more structured and providing for some fascinating, and thoughtful musical conversations. While admittedly this won’t be for everyone’s tastes, this is a most potent session.

I purchased this CD.

Benny Golson's Jazz Legacy Still Expanding

Highly honored over the past few years for his lengthy career (he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award among other honors), and recently feted at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in celebration of his 80th Birthday, Benny Golson’s musical legacy is marked by two new releases on Concord Jazz. “The Best of Benny Golson” is a career spanning disc containing nine performances while “New Time, New ‘Tet” is his first new recording in five years with his new jazztet. Golson’s contributions probably are most noteworthy as a composer and arranger, but he has also been a distinctive saxophonist who has produced a strong body of recordings. Some of his compositions have become part of the jazz standard book including “I Remember Clifford,” ”Whisper Not,” “Along Came Betty,” and “Killer Joe.” One thing these carefully crafted compositions share is there memorable melodies that stay with the listener. Furthermore, there is a thoughtfulness in his tunes, arrangements and his playing. he eschews a hot extroverted music for a distinctive crafted work which is akin to the careful work of a jeweler cutting stones and crafting his rings, bracelets and charms. 
A career spanning decades can only be skimmed on a single disc, but “The Best of Benny Golson,” brings together nine performances that display the range and variety of his compositions as well as his playing. This compilation opens with an octet performing “Whisper Not,” with Art Farmer, Gigi Gryce, James Cleveland, and Sahib Shibab joining him for the front line with a muted, delicate sound to the arrangement effectively using Watkins’ French Horn, Shibab’s baritone sax and Farmer’s muted trumpet with solos from Gryce, Cleveland on trombone, Farmer playing open, and Golson himself. Gigi Gyrce’s “Reunion” is a sextet with J.J. Johnson on trombone and Kenny Dorham on trumpet as well as a rhythm section of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Max Roach, on a nice bop number with shifting tempos with Golson taking the lead solo, Chambers getting featured and the ensemble trading fours with Roach.

“Are You Real,” a quintet performance with Curtis Fuller and a rhythm of Barry Harris, Jymie Merritt and Philly Joe Jones has some gusty playing from Golson before Fuller and Harris take the spotlight. Another date with Fuller brings the stunning “Blues After Dark,” another strong Golson melody, with its loping tempo and marvelous solos by both Fuller and Golson, both who employ an almost whispering attack at the beginning of their solos. Art Blakey joins Fuller on Golson on a delightful reading of Rodgers & Hart’s “I Didn’t Know What Time It Is,” while his ballad playing on “April in Paris,” evokes Ben Webster, in the use of space as well as tone on a superb performance although without Webster's heavy vibrato. A live rendition of “Along Came Betty” is from a Jazztet dated co-led with Art Farmer and with Curtis Fuller.

A 1997 recording of his “Five Spot After Dark,” has Ron Blake on tenor and John Swana on trumpet, both a bit more extroverted in their playing than Golson. Eddie Henderson is present on the closing track, a nice 2004 rendition of “Killer Joe.” Lacking familiarity with all the source albums for these tracks, I cannot vouch whether this is in fact the best of Benny Golson, but the music here is darn good indeed (to use a bit of understatement).

“New Time. New ‘Tet” (Concord Jazz) releases an August 2008 session with Eddie Henderson, trumpet-flugelhorn; Steve Davis, trombone; Mike Ledonne, piano, Buster Williams, bass, and Carl Allen drums. All but Davis were on the 2004 rendition “Killer Joe,” from “The Best of Benny Golson.” In the liner notes, Jim Merod has these interesting words to describe this contemporary Jazztet in that it “incorporates virtually all the elements of the pensive, sometimes sentimental,consistently philosophical and always gregarious.” Trombonist Davis' “Grove’s Groove,” opens this set with a relaxed groove and his at times blustery tone contrasts with Golson’s more reserved sounding attack. Next up is Sonny Rollins’ “Airegin,” with Henderson brassy solo a highlight along with Buster Williams’s walking solo and pianist Ledonne’s sparkling playing.

Golson’s “From Dream to Dream” is an apty titled ballad with a languorous feel. Davis takes a lengthy, low-key solo while Henderson and Golson add soft embellishments around. The tempo struts a bit quicker as Al Jarreau adds a vocal to this new rendition of “Whisper Not,” with Henderson using his mute on his solo, followed by Ledonne adding a bit of barrelhouse to his bop piano. Monk’s “Epistrophy” opens with a blast from the horns before Henderson takes the lead on the melody as Davis and Golson adding their voices before Henderson opens his solo in an extroverted vein, on a number where everyone solos with Ledonne’s bouncy handling of Monk’s angular lines a delight and his chords punctuate Williams solo.

Golson rearranges a couple of songs from the Western Classical musical tradition, Chopin’s “L’Adieu,” with marvelous muted playing on this ballad from Henderson, and “Verdi’s Voice,” with the jazztet evoking a classical quartet. An unusual contemporary ballad, El DeBarge’s “Love Me in a Special Way,” showcases Davis’ gruff lyricism before Golson takes over for his romantic reading of the number. “Gypsy Jingle-Jangle,” is a pretty lively tempoed number with shifting tempos that lead one on a musical ride, more like the tilt-a-whirl than a roller coaster, but energizing indeed. The closing “Uptown Afterburn,” is another energetic musical jaunt with Williams, who solos here, anchors with his forceful playing.

This recording illustrates that age has not slowed down Benny Golson down, and with the latest Jazztet, continues to provide us with jazz that remains thoughtful, soulful, contemplative, fiery and passionate.


This look back and look forward at Benny Golson originally appeared in the March 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 314) at pages 8-9. The issue can be downloaded at jazz-blues.com. Review copies of the CD were provided me from the publication.

Max Roach 1924-2007

The headline in the New York Times website the afternoon of August 16 said it all. As Peter Keepnews' wrote," Max Roach, a founder of modern jazz who rewrote the rules of drumming in the 1940’s and spent the rest of his career breaking musical barriers and defying listeners’ expectations, died early today in Manhattan. He was 83."
Anyone playing drums stands in his musical shadow. An innovator who never stood musically still. As I write this Columbia University's WKCR is doing a Max Roach marathon in his memory thorugh next Wednesday August 22 where you can experience a musical legacy that few in American musical history can equal. You can listen on the internet by visiting WKCR's website is www.wkcr.org. The link for Peter Keepnews obituary is Max Roach.