| Jazz |
Mike Pope’s Sonic Architecture: A Jazz Tapestry of Intellect, Emotion, and Mastery.
Internationally acclaimed composer and bassist Mike Pope has long stood at the confluence of intellect and intuition in jazz. With his latest album, he offers a grand, ambitious work that speaks directly to those who crave music with depth, complexity, and a reverence for the genre’s rich legacy. From the first track, a turbulent wave of sound that crashes with the force of a French Basque swell in winter, the listener is swept into a visceral, cerebral experience.
Pope is a man of precision. His mastery lies not only in his formidable command of the bass, but in the way he constructs balance among instruments, allowing each to shine while remaining part of a greater whole. The resulting interplay between musicians is nothing short of exquisite. Every arrangement, every phrase, every note carries intention. And whether you’re listening for the elegance of the compositions, the ingenuity of the arrangements, or the sheer virtuosity of the bass work, the feast is royal, lavish yet exacting, spirited yet restrained.
At its heart, this album is also a deeply personal journey, an exploration of the people, places, and sounds that have shaped Pope’s thirty-year career. Drawing from a diverse range of musical landscapes and historical influences, Pope assembles an all-star cast that reflects both his past and his present. Trumpeter Randy Brecker, a foundational figure of modern jazz, lends his distinctive voice. Saxophonist Roxy Coss, one of the brightest talents of the new generation, brings lyrical brilliance. Guitarist Amaury Cabral, whom Pope discovered at Berklee College of Music, contributes youthful fire and finesse. These rising and established voices converge with Pope’s longtime collaborators, pianist Geoffrey Keezer and drummer Nate Smith, to create an ensemble of striking cohesion and depth.
The album moves seamlessly between original compositions and reimagined classics from jazz titans like Charlie Parker and John Coltrane. These aren’t mere tributes; they are reinventions, modern reflections of timeless brilliance. And just when the journey seems complete, Pope offers a final, unexpected gift: a quiet, moving tribute to his earliest musical influence, his mother. For the closing track, The Parts You Keep, Pope traveled to Atlanta to record his 85-year-old mother, an accomplished classical pianist, performing a solo piece by Ernst von Dohnányi. This haunting performance, interwoven with Pope’s own composition, evokes memories of childhood mornings, of waking to the sound of her practice. It is an intimate, vulnerable moment, and a profound conclusion to a work steeped in both personal history and collective memory.
Pope’s musical journey began early. At just fifteen, he was already performing with the jazz ensemble at Bowling Green State University and sneaking off to late-night clubs in Toledo to play with aging legends like Eddie Abrams, a pianist with tenuous ties to Bird and the great architects of bebop. These formative experiences echo throughout the album, not just in the compositions, but in the careful selection of musicians who embody both tradition and innovation. This duality is central to Pope’s musical philosophy: honoring the past while shaping the future, paying homage without imitating.
What makes Mike Pope so difficult to categorize is precisely what makes his music so compelling. His style is wholly original, fully realized and unflinchingly authentic. He is one of those rare artists who can translate his inner world into sound with uncanny clarity. On the bass, he effortlessly blurs boundaries, executing passages typically reserved for upright bass with electrifying clarity, and bending genres in ways that feel both familiar and utterly new. His 1970s influences, funk, fusion, experimental jazz, are not merely nostalgic references; they are refracted through a modern lens, making them feel startlingly contemporary.
This is, without question, one of the most rewarding jazz projects of the year. That it is released under the Origin Records label, a label founded and curated by musicians who seldom miss the mark, is no surprise. Mike Pope’s new album is not just a showcase of extraordinary talent; it is a deeply felt statement from a composer at the peak of his artistic powers.
And if early signs are any indication, it will stand as one of the most memorable jazz releases of 2025.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, July 27th 2025
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Musicians :
Geoffrey Keezer – piano, Fender Rhodes
Mike Pope – bass
Nate Smith – drums
Randy Brecker – trumpet & flugelhorn (5,7)
Roxy Coss – tenor & soprano saxophone (2,3,6,8)
Amaury Cabral – guitar (2,6,7,8)
Ann Almond Pope – classical piano (8,9)
Yu-Ting Wu – violin 1 (5,7)
Jennifer Houck – violin 2 (5,7)
Ivan Mendoza – viola (5,7)
Peter Kibbe – violoncello (5,7)
Tracklist :
1 Misgivings 6:58
2 Steeplechase 4:14
3 Giant Steps 6:44
4 Dashan’s Flying Ubercar 7:01
5 That Old Feeling 9:24
6 Barolo Blue 4:33
7 Past is Prologue 5:01
8 The Parts You Keep 8:30
9 Winterreigen, Op. 13: V. Sphärenmusik 5:52
(1,4,6-8) by Mike Pope (Walk Your Dogma Music, BMI)
(2) by Charlie Parker (Atlantic Music Corp)
(3) by John Coltrane (Jowcol Music)
(5) by Sammy Fain & Lew Brown (WC Music Corp./ L. Lee Phillips & Fain Music Co)
(9) by Ernst von Dohnányi
Production Info:
Produced by Mike Pope
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Mike Pope at Vatican City Sound, Marriottsville, MD
Recorded October 9-10, 2022
Cover art by Elizabeth Pope | Photos by Mort Schuman
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
(8,9) Classical piano recorded at Dave Pope Productions, Atlanta, GA
(9) Recorded by Dave Pope
Piano technicians: David G. Hughes (MD); Brian McClure (GA)