"I think anything you do in life that's going to have some substance is going to be a struggle." -Odean Pope
Praise for Odean
"The music (on the Ponderer) is dense but luxuriant, and it moves quickly. Thoroughly propulsive."
Jim Macnie, Boston Pboenix
"Odean Pope's Saxophone Choir hit the groove."
John Diliberto, Down Beat
"The Ponderer wallops you, then surprises you with its subtlety before you can recover."
Village Voice
"Max Roach's longtime saxman Odean Popes Philly proud saxophone ensemble was one of the most explosive units of the 1994 Montreal Jazz Festival."
Willard Jenkins, Jazz-Times
"Tenor man Odean Pope builds a richly arranged environment deserving of the choral moniker on Epitome, the Choir's third CD for Soul Note. An elegant feel is established right away. Pope's own deep, throaty tenor is the horn highlight."
John Corbett, Down Beat
"This recording marks a welcome return for a long silent master and another winning collaboration for Pope and crew."
Michael Rosenstein (One Final Note)
"Charged with the progressive energy of the Avant-guarde and tempered by the meditative, soulful communication of the classic jazz tradition, The Mystery of Prince Lasha is worth discovering."
Greg Camphire (ILE Magazine)
"Bask in the excitement of the music."
Mike Shanley (Jazz Times)
"(Odean Pope) continues to be a faithful steward of his muse. His latest trip to The Spirit Room marked another milestone."
Derek Taylor (Bagatellen)
"Pope is simply stoked throughout the set, whether the vehicle is a playfully Monkish romp, a chestnut-flavored ballad replete with a sweeping cadenza or a bristling flag-waver."
Bill Shoemaker (Point of Departure)
"Any living saxophonist would be glad to take credit for this record."
Ron Sweetman (CODA)
"The writing for the saxophone Choir is brilliant, its musicianship superb...to see Odean Pope and The Saxophone Choir and Trio is to be galvanized by the infinite magic of possibility."
Ron Welburn, Down Beat Magazine
"If John Coltrane was the heavyweight champ of the Tenor Saxophone, then Odean Pope must be the super-heavyweight Champion."
John Chacona, Erie
Times, News Showcase Downbeat Magazine Critic
Awards and Honors
RECIPIENT 1991-1992 PEW FELLOWSHIPS IN THE ARTS RECIPIENT
ROCKEFELLER AWARD 1992
CLEVELAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE
NORTH SEA JAZZ FESTIVAL #1 TENOR SAXOPHONIST
AFRO-AMERICAN HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MUSEUM
PHILADELPHIA CITY PAPER, BEST JAZZ COMPOSER AWARD, 2000
CHAMBER MUSIC AMERICA
CITATIONS FROM THREE PHILADELPHIA MAYORS