Mike Pope is the way
Garrett D. Mckinney | Greenville, SC | 09/19/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When it comes to getting it done on the bass, Mike Pope is the way. He can play it all. If you ever get a chance, call up the University of North Texas, get the jazz department, and try to get a copy of Lab Band cds from 91 and 92. He may be on more, but those are the only two I own with Pope on them. From the slow melodic ballads (Slow Heat-written by director Neil Slater)to the fast bop(Fingers-Thad Jones)to the electric fusion (Havona-Weather Report)he makes it happen. You know that feeling when someone begins to play a pretty fast lick, and you kinda wonder if they're going to have to cut it off early because they might run out of dexterity or ideas?...
He lacks in neither. He can thrown down when he needs to, but overall his playing is concise, leaving room for others to get their job done as well. I just checked out this CD because I was listening to my NT lab band cds the other night, and I got the urge to see what CDs he may have out, and unsurprisingly, he's got a couple of solo projects, this being one. I particularly love this one because it covers a wider musical spectrum. His other album, "Lay of the Land" is a more straight ahead approach and equally as impressive."
