Odean Pope Trio – Out for a Walk (CD2072)

The trio is back. Eight years after his debut Almost Like Me, tenor saxophonist Odean Pope went back into the studio with the same band: Gerald Veasley on 6-string electric bass and Cornell Rochester on drums. Out for a Walk was recorded on October 11, 1990 at the Platinum Factory in Brooklyn, New York.

The music shows a trio that has grown together. Pope’s big, soulful tenor, Veasley’s melodic and virtuosic bass and Rochester’s hard-grooving drums create a sound between free funk, post-bop and fusion. The twelve pieces include trio versions of material Pope wrote for his Saxophone Choir, such as “The Ponderer”, “Saxophone Shop, Part 2” and “Out for a Walk, Part 2”. There’s also the three-part “Zip”, the exotic “Neapolitan Minor” and “Spanish Love Theme”, the rhythmically tricky “9/4 Going 4/4 Ways” and a tribute to Pope’s hometown, “Philly in Three”.

This is a must for fans of Almost Like Me and of powerful saxophone trios. Released on Moers Music. When you buy here, you’re buying directly from the label, and we only sell originals.

The Side Story

Odean Pope is best known for two things: his long years in Max Roach’s quartet and his Saxophone Choir, a big ensemble of nine saxophones and a rhythm section. In March 1990, Pope recorded the Saxophone Choir album The Ponderer at the same Brooklyn studio. It included “The Ponderer” and the two-part “Out for a Walk”. Just seven months later he came back with his trio and recorded much of that music again for this album, this time with only three musicians.

That’s what makes Out for a Walk so interesting. You hear pieces written for nine saxophones reduced to a single tenor, a bass and drums. Veasley’s 6-string bass often takes over the harmonies the horn section would play. Since Almost Like Me(1982, CD 1092), the trio’s chemistry had only grown stronger.

Tracklist

1. The Ponderer – 8:24

2. Neapolitan Minor – 5:01

3. Saxophone Shop, Part 2 – 6:18

4. Out for a Walk, Part 2 – 5:51

5. Zip, Part 2 – 4:36

6. Spanish Love Theme – 4:33

7. Zip, Part 3 – 2:24

8. Limu – 6:33

9. 9/4 Going 4/4 Ways – 6:58

10. Philly in Three – 4:17

11. The Garden of Happiness – 5:42

12. Zip, Part 1 – 5:48

Total running time: approx. 67 minutes

Personnel

• Odean Pope – tenor saxophone, voice

• Gerald Veasley – 6-string electric bass

• Cornell Rochester – drums

Details

• Format: CD

• Label: Moers Music

• Catalog no.: CD2072

• Recorded: October 11, 1990, Platinum Factory, Brooklyn, New York

• Price: €14.00