John Pope is an improvising bass player, vocalist and composer based in Newcastle upon Tyne. His extensive performance history covers a wide range of styles and genres, mainly in the fields of rock, jazz and improvised music. Musical rapport, the power of listening and the connections between music and mysticism inform his work as both an improvisor and composer, presented here in two improvising ensembles based primarily around electronic instruments and effects.
GD — Eli Jenkins (Nintendo DS. Effects), John Pope (Vocals, Kaoss Padi & Caroline Pugh (Vocals)
GD perform a set of improvised music featuring electronics, voices and pre-recorded material. This ensemble formed in 2009 at Newcastle University. They create music spontaneously, exploring the possibilities and limitations of the technology they employ and the texture and role of the human voice.
Sultry Nathan — David Carnegie (Drums). Athol Cassidy (Guitar) & John Pope (Bass Guitar)
Sultry Nathan perform improvised pieces created with John’s “Sigils” method of structured improvisation.
A sigil in mystical practice is an image, mantra or other representation of an abstracted idea, simplified and transferred from one language (english) into another (image, sound). In John’s “Sigil” pieces these sig its take the form of cues with appropriate names, which are put into a listed order to create a continuous piece of music. Each cue represents a detailed description of a particular sound-world, but the melodic, rhythmic and other musical content is not prescribed; the improvisors know what kind of sound to make, but must decide for themselves what to do in the moment, through the art of listening and reacting. The listed cues are then moved through one-by-one, cued by the improvisors as and when they see fit. This puts great importance on a shared musical rapport between the players, as the music changes and new ideas must be presented and explored.
Sultry Nathan are a total-improvisation jazz-rock trio formed in late 2008 by John and guitarist Athol Cassidy. The recent addition of drummer David Carnegie to the lineup makes this the debut performance of this incarnation of the ensemble, although both Athol and David have been fequent musical partners of John’s in various situations, including jazz. soul and improv hip-hop!
We hope you enjoy the performance. Thanks for listening!
John Pope.
(The above are the programme notes from John Pope's Post Grad recital at Newcastle University. They are printed in full. I'm told, was an interesting and diverse event. - Lance).
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