Odean Pope, the mighty tenor player who first established himself as a member of jazz-funk heroes
Catalyst, and later as tenor boss with
Max Roach, has issued a number of albums as a leader, from trio dates to his hallowed
Saxophone Choir gigs for the German Moers imprint in the 1980s. What this hip-hop beat duo have in common with
Pope isn't immediately clear until you put the disc in the player. Then it becomes apparent that the funky side of
Catalyst has plenty to do with underground jazzy hip-hop.
Pope for his part, blows over these beats with the requisite experimentalism, open improvisational flair, and raw acumen his own dates have been applauded for. As one would expect, given the beat-conscious production chops of the
Misled Children, technology plays an enormous role: in addition to samples,
Pope's horns are twinned and tripled in staggered harmonies and even rhythms -- but to no detriment on the final product. Check the nasty funk on "Foregone," the nearly ethereal soprano work on the ambience-flavored "Grimey," and the dub consciousness on "Bananas Foster," with spacy keyboards, multiple tenors, and a spine-slipping bassline. This is generally a laid-back set, but there is plenty going on for even the most strident of listeners. ~ Thom Jurek