Odean Pope Trio

Consistently exciting, substantial music is synonymous with the name Odean Pope as his admirers will not need telling. This sax-trio-date sounds like Pope is playing the music he was born to make. You won’t find glossy full-page ads selling his image. There’s no hype here. This is the real shit recorded in real time. Pope’s playing is alert and lithe as a cat. Cameron Brown on bass and Craig McIver on drums stalk him all the way. Best heard in the driving opener “Prince La Sha” and the sensuous ballad “Cis,” Pope’s prowess as a solo player is matched by his skills as an arranger/composer, best showcased in such rich band performances as the loose variations of “Good Question Too” and the freer dialogue of “You Remind Me.” Knitting Factory has produced another musical winner here, proving that not only does it document musicians at the experimental fringes, but at the heart of the adventurous mainstream as well.