Odean Pope

Universal Sounds
Porter Records PRCD 4053

Marshall Allen/KonstruKt

Vibrations of the Day

KonstruKt Re048

At 87 years of age, alto saxophonist, flutist and Electronic Wind Instrument (EWI) player Marshall Allen appears to be busier than ever. One would think that the wiry reedist who ascended to the leadership of the Sun Ra Arkestra shortly after Ra’s planet leaving in 1993 would have his hands full shepherding that rambunctious aggregation. Yet he’s obviously free enough – in both senses of the word – to lend his talents to such notable projects as these CDs.

Someone whose distinctive playing was part of drummer Max Roach’s band from 1979 until 2002, tenor saxophonist Odean Pope has the reed support of Allen along with two drummers, a percussionist and bassist on Universal Sounds. Considering they’re both Philadelphians, and despite age differences – Allen was born in 1924 in Kentucky and Pope in 1938 in South Carolina – in essence Allen’s and Pope’s improvisational compass still points towards the same milieu of Blues, Bop and Swing – tempered with Free Playing. Plus as he proved with his long-running, multi-reed Saxophone Choir, Pope knows how to voice more than one saxophone.

Conversely Vibrations of the Day moves the 87-year-old saxophonist into unfamiliar territory, geographically if not sonically. Although there are also three percussionists and another saxophonist present – along with two guitarists – the six members of KonstruKt are all Turkish with the album recorded in Istanbul. Not only was KonstruKt founded in 2008 to play and record improvised music, but the players, while experienced, are also anywhere from one-half to one-third of Allen’s age. Such is the universal quality of Free Music however, that Allen’s interaction with the six advances without even a sonic hiccup.

Pope’s disc is bifurcated into Blues-based material and tracks that are further out – not unlike some of the Arkestra’s later work. On the former tunes, the conception is pretty workman-like with bassist Lee Smith walking, Craig McIver or Jim Hamilton providing the shuffle beat, Pope’s horn pumping out stentorian changes and Allen supplying the responsive obbligato. This formula is especially apparent on the obviously titled “Blues”. Despite the familiar groove though, Pope’s playing is magisterial; heftily slithering and slurring to produce a rougher, deconstructed version of what fellow Philly tenors John Coltrane and Benny Golson were playing in the early 1960s. For his part Allen adds irregular vibrations and contrapuntal pressurized partials.

Conversely the other tracks depend on the addition of unique tones and textures created by Allen’s split tone alto style and the EWI’s airy bird-warbling cries. percussionist Warren Smith, who played in Roach’s M’Boom percussion ensemble and has backed performers as different as saxophonist Sam Rivers and vocalist Aretha Franklin, injects resonation from his tympani, shakes from tambourines, wood blocks and other beat-makers, ringing smacks from his vibraharp and marimba and polyrhythms from the standard drum kit. This is especially apparent on “The Track”, where Smith’s balafon-like wooden thwacks, as well as tympani bounces make common cause with Allen’s outer-space-like vibrations and radio-wave signals produced by the EWI.

Wrapping both strands into an impressive whole is “The Binder”. With the drummers coming on with thick strokes worthy of Elvin Jones and Rashied Ali, Pope smears agitated lines which become more staccato as his cadences advance to altissimo frenzy and strained honks. While this is happening, bassist Smith plays supportive arpeggios and Allen’s squeals and bugle-like expansion unfolds in contrast to lines from the other saxophonists.

Moving a few thousand miles away, tenor and soprano saxophonist Korhan Futacı, the other reed player on Vibrations of the Day, is often involved in call-and-response sections with Allen during that CD’s nine tracks. At points Hüseyin Ertunç adds some flute lines to the mix, but he usually functions as a percussionist and similar to what Smith does on the other CD. A colorist he produces distinctive timbres from percussion, drums and vibraphone. At the same time distorted flanges and resonating licks from dual guitarists Umut Çağlar and Barlas Tan Özemek give the performance an even more distinctive quality. Avoiding any clichéd Orientalism the session still includes subtle and perhaps unintentional Eurasian-inspired textures from the young Turks.

For example there is a vague Ottoman motif to “Space Jungle”, whose Arkestra-like title calls attention to Ra’s twin preoccupations with Afro-centricism and Interplanetary travel – ideas Allen was sure to have internalized in his 30 years with the Arkestra. Here the cross-pulsed vibrations and slithering slurs from contrapuntal sax power share space with shrill, splayed guitar licks which minimize the gap between the intonation of Nashville’s dobro and Istanbul’s cümbüş. Moreover when Allen’s ultra-altissimo reed bites are matched with Futacı’s pulsing tenor saxophone flattement on “Neptune”, either Ertunç’s or Özün Usta’s hand drum accompaniment could easily be linked to doumbek patterns.

Music aside, don’t imagine the KonstruKt members as a fez-wearing revival band however. European Free Music saxophonists such as Peter Brötzmann and Evan Parker have guested with the group, making the sextet conversant with contemporary musical innovations. For instance, affiliated resonance in “Neptune” come from vibraphone quivers and one guitarist pulling sharp licks from the strings near the tuning pegs. Additionally thick oscillations from Çağlar’s guitar synthesizer underlie the perpendicular attack from Allen’s EWI that offsets Futacı’s wide fruity tone.

The guitar synth often creates the organ-like, Ra-sanctioned space chords that are a feature of “March Of The Aliens”, alongside the quivering polyphony of Ertunç’s melodica. Clanks and clunks from wood blocks and drum rims plus cymbal resonation add to the general sonic miasma. But with both saxes moving linearly with contrasting and concurrent split tones and peeps, the basic the piece takes on the shape of a country Blues tune, albeit one imagined by Ornette Coleman.

With other extant sounds at different times reminiscent of Albert Ayler-like energetic freak-out, hard-core R&B, industrial Rock and many varieties of experimental improv, KonstruKt has established a unique musical persona. And it’s one that’s enhanced by the contributions of polymath Allen. Dissimilar, but just as compelling, Universal Sounds demonstrates that the saxophonist’s universal sounds can be just as valuable shoring up an all-American improv session.

--Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Vibrations: 1. Through The Asteroids 2. Space Jungle 3. Milky Way 4. March Of The Aliens 5. Supernova 5. The Emperor 7. Sunflower 8. Neptune 9. Spirits

Personnel: Vibrations: Marshall Allen (alto saxophone); Korhan Futacı (tenor and soprano saxophones and voice); Umut Çağlar (guitar and guitar synthesizer); Barlas Tan Özemek (guitar); Korhan Argüden (drums); Özün Usta (percussion and drums) and Hüseyin Ertunç (percussion, drums, vibraphone and flute)

Track Listing: Universal: 1. Custody Of The American Spirit 2. Mwalimu 3.The Binder 4. She Smiled Again 5. Go Figure 6. The Track 7. Blues 8. Custody Of The American (Bullshit Version)

Personnel: Universal: Marshall Allen (alto saxophone and EWI); Odean Pope (tenor saxophone); Lee Smith (bass); Craig McIver and Jim Hamilton (drums) and Warren Smith (percussion, drums, timpani and vocals)

November 30, 2011

Odean Pope

Plant Life
Porter Records PRCD-4017

Charles Gayle Trio

Forgiveness

NotTwo MW 805-2

Superficially similar, each of these dates is lead by a veteran American saxophonist on either side of 70, adds the contributions of a bassist and a drummer, and consists of a program of mostly originals plus a different famous composition by John Coltrane. Although neither reaches the top rank, certain cohesive warmth and looseness in performance makes alto saxophonist Charles Gayle’s Forgiveness more enticing than tenor saxophonist Odean Pope’s Plant Life.

What’s actually most surprising is why Pope’s session is so remote and wearying. Best-known for work with his own Saxophone Choir, jazz-funk fusion band Catalyst, and a 30-year association with master drummer Max Roach, North Carolina-born, Philadelphia-based Pope is the epitome of the journeyman jazzman who can be relied upon to produce consistent, swinging work no matter the circumstances. Plus his sideman here include Sunny Murray, one of Free Jazz’s pioneering inventive percussionist; plus lesser-known bassist Lee Smith. In contrast, Buffalo-born, New York-based Gayle has only worked regularly since the late 1980s – about 30 years after Pope established himself – and following a period living on the streets now numbers established players like drummer Rashied Ali – who helped liberate percussion along with Murray in the 1960s – among his cohorts. This live gig from Lodz, Poland, however, features German drummer Klaus Kugel and another steady but unheralded bassist, Hillard Greene.

Recorded in a Philly studio, Pope’s nine tracks seem to suffer from both coldness and literalism. Murray, who has a habit of disassociating himself from a situation for no apparent reason, appears particularly disconnected here. Certainly his half-hearted rolls and rim-shots, substandard flams and drags plus distant cymbal cadences don’t add much rhythmic impetus. When he rouses himself though, he pumps out a respectful and languid beat, relating overall to the Latin and Bop conventions that he actually helped to push aside in the 1960s.

With Murray nearly hors de combat, it’s left to Shaw to keep the bottom solid, and he does a yeoman job throughout, with tough walking pulses, sul tasto resonations and double stopping. “I Want to Talk about You” – closely identified with Coltrane after he recorded it in the 1960s – even brings out near C&W twanging from his bull fiddle.

Pope’s melodious soloing is most assured on that track – at more then nine minutes the CD’s lengthiest as well – but his inspiration merely underlines the isolation elsewhere. Respectful and low-key, he exhibits double-and triple-tonguing here and in other spots but evidentially has trouble connecting with the other players. Sheets of sound, reed-biting obbligatos, warbling vibrato and accented flutter tonguing are tremendous exhibits of reed power and inventiveness; but cohesion would have been just as welcome.

Perhaps enlivened by a club audience on the other hand, members of the Gayle trio are more unified and superficially exciting than the Pope crew. If anything, their run-through of “Giant Steps” may be the least memorable track, since so many jazz musicians have played it so frequently. Still Greene’s bass pulse is as solid as Paul Chambers’ on the original; Kugel’s slaps and stomps speed by more quickly faster than Art Taylor or Elvin Jones ever did; and Gayle’s theme-shredding coupled with shrieks and cries at least moves the head from Trane to Gayle territory.

Additionally, despite the audience’s enthusiasm, the trio’s performance of Gayle’s ecclesiastically titled tunes is a pretty standard Free Jazz trope. The sax man repeatedly piles glossolalia, jagged vibrato screams and squirming piles of notes on top of the drummer’s insistent cross-sticking, rat-tat-tats, cymbal slides and bass drum thumps, while the bassist pumps, thumps and practically directs traffic to keep the staccato motifs from careening off the sonic road. Jagged, ragged and emotional, it still resembles a peacock tail of colors when compared to the near-chiaroscuro tail feathers of Pope and company.

Curiously, one of Plant Life’s rather standard tracks is entitled “Multiphonic”. Yet the undulating resonation of a typical Forgiveness piece such as the nearly 17-minute “Holy Birth” includes more obvious and un-named multiphonics than the entire other CD. Moving from military stop-time – courtesy of Kugel’s drum strokes – to balladic properties – when Greene’s thick string pops reign in the others – Gayle’s meanwhile studs his solo with split tones. Harsh passing tones, altissimo octave screams, buzzing triple-tonguing and a capella curves are his most common recourse. Ending with pitch-sliding slides, extended passages are distended with klaxon-like honks and cries.

Frankly, any one who has followed Gayle’s career over the years will admit he has done better, more focused work. Still this CD is nothing for which to seek forgiveness. In comparison, while steady as say, a Hank Mobley or a Charlie Rouse-led date would have appeared 50 years ago compared to a Coltrane set, Plant Life is also a respectable effort. But its appeal will be more for Pope followers than for those seeking sonic revelations.

-- Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Plant: 1. Two Dreams Part 1 2. Happiness Tears 3. Plant Life 4. I Want to Talk about You 5. Scorpio Twins 6. Thoughts 7.Multiphonic 8. Two Dreams Part 2

Personnel: Plant: Odean Pope (tenor saxophone); Lee Smith (bass) and Sunny Murray (drums)

Track Listing: Forgiveness: 1. Living Waters 2. Glory, Glory, Glory 3. Holy Birth

4. Confess 5. Song To Thee 6. Giant Steps 7. Forgiveness

Personnel: Forgiveness: Charles Gayle (alto saxophone); Hillard Greene (bass) and

Klaus Kugel (drums)

April 23, 2009

Charles Gayle Trio

Forgiveness
NotTwo MW 805-2

Odean Pope

Plant Life

Porter Records PRCD-4017

Superficially similar, each of these dates is lead by a veteran American saxophonist on either side of 70, adds the contributions of a bassist and a drummer, and consists of a program of mostly originals plus a different famous composition by John Coltrane. Although neither reaches the top rank, certain cohesive warmth and looseness in performance makes alto saxophonist Charles Gayle’s Forgiveness more enticing than tenor saxophonist Odean Pope’s Plant Life.

What’s actually most surprising is why Pope’s session is so remote and wearying. Best-known for work with his own Saxophone Choir, jazz-funk fusion band Catalyst, and a 30-year association with master drummer Max Roach, North Carolina-born, Philadelphia-based Pope is the epitome of the journeyman jazzman who can be relied upon to produce consistent, swinging work no matter the circumstances. Plus his sideman here include Sunny Murray, one of Free Jazz’s pioneering inventive percussionist; plus lesser-known bassist Lee Smith. In contrast, Buffalo-born, New York-based Gayle has only worked regularly since the late 1980s – about 30 years after Pope established himself – and following a period living on the streets now numbers established players like drummer Rashied Ali – who helped liberate percussion along with Murray in the 1960s – among his cohorts. This live gig from Lodz, Poland, however, features German drummer Klaus Kugel and another steady but unheralded bassist, Hillard Greene.

Recorded in a Philly studio, Pope’s nine tracks seem to suffer from both coldness and literalism. Murray, who has a habit of disassociating himself from a situation for no apparent reason, appears particularly disconnected here. Certainly his half-hearted rolls and rim-shots, substandard flams and drags plus distant cymbal cadences don’t add much rhythmic impetus. When he rouses himself though, he pumps out a respectful and languid beat, relating overall to the Latin and Bop conventions that he actually helped to push aside in the 1960s.

With Murray nearly hors de combat, it’s left to Shaw to keep the bottom solid, and he does a yeoman job throughout, with tough walking pulses, sul tasto resonations and double stopping. “I Want to Talk about You” – closely identified with Coltrane after he recorded it in the 1960s – even brings out near C&W twanging from his bull fiddle.

Pope’s melodious soloing is most assured on that track – at more then nine minutes the CD’s lengthiest as well – but his inspiration merely underlines the isolation elsewhere. Respectful and low-key, he exhibits double-and triple-tonguing here and in other spots but evidentially has trouble connecting with the other players. Sheets of sound, reed-biting obbligatos, warbling vibrato and accented flutter tonguing are tremendous exhibits of reed power and inventiveness; but cohesion would have been just as welcome.

Perhaps enlivened by a club audience on the other hand, members of the Gayle trio are more unified and superficially exciting than the Pope crew. If anything, their run-through of “Giant Steps” may be the least memorable track, since so many jazz musicians have played it so frequently. Still Greene’s bass pulse is as solid as Paul Chambers’ on the original; Kugel’s slaps and stomps speed by more quickly faster than Art Taylor or Elvin Jones ever did; and Gayle’s theme-shredding coupled with shrieks and cries at least moves the head from Trane to Gayle territory.

Additionally, despite the audience’s enthusiasm, the trio’s performance of Gayle’s ecclesiastically titled tunes is a pretty standard Free Jazz trope. The sax man repeatedly piles glossolalia, jagged vibrato screams and squirming piles of notes on top of the drummer’s insistent cross-sticking, rat-tat-tats, cymbal slides and bass drum thumps, while the bassist pumps, thumps and practically directs traffic to keep the staccato motifs from careening off the sonic road. Jagged, ragged and emotional, it still resembles a peacock tail of colors when compared to the near-chiaroscuro tail feathers of Pope and company.

Curiously, one of Plant Life’s rather standard tracks is entitled “Multiphonic”. Yet the undulating resonation of a typical Forgiveness piece such as the nearly 17-minute “Holy Birth” includes more obvious and un-named multiphonics than the entire other CD. Moving from military stop-time – courtesy of Kugel’s drum strokes – to balladic properties – when Greene’s thick string pops reign in the others – Gayle’s meanwhile studs his solo with split tones. Harsh passing tones, altissimo octave screams, buzzing triple-tonguing and a capella curves are his most common recourse. Ending with pitch-sliding slides, extended passages are distended with klaxon-like honks and cries.

Frankly, any one who has followed Gayle’s career over the years will admit he has done better, more focused work. Still this CD is nothing for which to seek forgiveness. In comparison, while steady as say, a Hank Mobley or a Charlie Rouse-led date would have appeared 50 years ago compared to a Coltrane set, Plant Life is also a respectable effort. But its appeal will be more for Pope followers than for those seeking sonic revelations.

-- Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Plant: 1. Two Dreams Part 1 2. Happiness Tears 3. Plant Life 4. I Want to Talk about You 5. Scorpio Twins 6. Thoughts 7.Multiphonic 8. Two Dreams Part 2

Personnel: Plant: Odean Pope (tenor saxophone); Lee Smith (bass) and Sunny Murray (drums)

Track Listing: Forgiveness: 1. Living Waters 2. Glory, Glory, Glory 3. Holy Birth

4. Confess 5. Song To Thee 6. Giant Steps 7. Forgiveness

Personnel: Forgiveness: Charles Gayle (alto saxophone); Hillard Greene (bass) and

Klaus Kugel (drums)

April 23, 2009