Pope @ Ye Olde Cross, Ryton - Sept. 24

(However, after the session in Holy Cross Church,  the day’s musical festivities were not over, but continued nearby in Ye Olde Cross pub, with the Newcastle Improvisers Orchestra - editor)

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The theory behind this grouping, the Newcastle Improvisers Orchestra, at least in its original conception as it was once explained to me, is that anyone can do it – we all have improvisational musical potential. I agree to an extent, but it has to be said that, in practice, this sort of session does tend to attract the more technically capable participant.

That applies in spades to the facilitator, bassist John Pope, a North-Easterner, but with a much wider reputation. Pope is a versatile musician, with a particular penchant for improv. Over the last decade or so, I’ve seen him with outfits as diverse as Wilbur’s Fate, ALT, Archipelago, singer Lindsay Hannon’s band, a trio with reed player Chris Biscoe and another with Dutch trombonist Walter Wierbos. His own quintet has been known to range in repertoire from Ornette Coleman to Tom Waits.

 

There was lots of bass in evidence this afternoon – Pope’s double bass plus two bass guitars. The overall instrumentation also took in trumpet/ flugelhorn, keyboards, electronics, alto sax, vocals and percussion. Musically, it was consistently interesting (and way out of my playing league, although I did use my pen to tap a bit on my notebook).

 

As if to emphasise the point, part-way in, Paul Taylor showed up and contributed the standard of piano playing you would expect from somebody very good indeed. A Pope bass undertow with a Taylor lead piano was later one of the highlights of an excellent final session.

 

Having said all that, this sort of occasion certainly has its messages for the mere bystander. In particular, the insights into the improviser’s art, provided by Pope’s tutorial moments (and the feedback he got from the other musicians) were fascinating. When and how to listen, when to assert yourself and when not to, when to lead and when to follow and when to do neither. Lessons for life as well as music. Geoff Fimister