Biography Odean Pope

An important and somewhat overlooked contributor to the music canvas with his circular breathing continuous fluid tenor sax poetry, Odean Pope; is a blessing on the Philadelphia Jazz scene. Please visit his website http://www.odeanpope.com to learn more about this selfless mentor and teacher.

Odean Pope (born October 24, 1938, Ninety Six, South Carolina) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.[1]

Pope was raised in Philadelphia, where he learned from Ray Bryant while young.[2] Early in his career, at Philadelphia’s Uptown Theater, Pope played behind a number of noted rhythm and blues artists including James Brown, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.[3]

He played briefly in the 1960s with Jimmy McGriff, and late in the 1960s he began working with Max Roach, including on tours of Europe in 1967-68. He was a member of Philadelphia group Catalyst in the early and mid-1970s, and assembled the Saxophone Choir, which consists of nine saxophones and a rhythm section (piano, bass and drums), in 1977. He became a regular member of Roach's quartet in 1979 and has recorded extensively with him, in addition to numerous releases as a leader.

Pope has publicly spoken about his bipolar disorder, which he has had for over 30 years.[4]

Pope was quoted in 2001 as saying, “Every time I pick that horn up there's always something that I discover I can do differently if I really seek. If you were on planet Earth for, like, 2 billion years, I feel as though there's always something new that you can find to do. There's no end.” [3]

Discography:

As leader:

Almost Like Me (1982)

The Saxophone Shop (Soul Note, 1985)

The Ponderer (Soul Note, 1990)

Out for a Walk (1990)

Epitome (Soul Note, 1993)

Ninety Six (1996)

Collective Voices (1996)

Ebioto (1999)

Changes & Changes (1999)

Philadelphia Spirit in New York, (2001) CIMP [5]

Nothing Is Wrong (2004)

Two Dreams (2004)

Locked & Loaded: Live at the Blue Note (2006) U.S. Jazz #24[6]

The Misled Children Meet Odean Pope (2008)

Odean's List (2009) In+Out Records

Odean's Three (2012) In+Out Records

As sideman

With Max Roach:

Pictures in a Frame (Soul Note, 1979)

In the Light (Soul Note, 1982)

It's Christmas Again (Soul Note, 1984)

Easy Winners (Soul Note, 1985)

Bright Moments (Soul Note, 1986)

To the Max! (Enja, 1990–91)

References

1 http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=10365

2 Scott Yanow, Odean Pope at Allmusic

3 The Northern California Bohemian, article, “The Seeker, Saxman Odean Pope strives for the sacred,” by Greg Cahill, February 22–28, 2001

4 Jazz great Pope tells of bipolar struggles

5 Allmusic.com

6 Billboard, Allmusic.com

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