The Parts You Keep

Geoffrey Keezer's piano introduction is stunning on an original composition by Mike Pope called "Misgivings." This tune was so captivating that I had to play it twice before I could go forward with reviewing this album. It's not only his piano elegance and delivery, but the melodic flow of this composition and the unexpected movement of this piece that hypnotizes me. Mike Pope's electric bass is melodic, playing his own song, almost like a descant or counterpoint to Keezer's flying fingers, yet still holding down the rhythm section. As always, Nate Smith is creative and powerful on the drums. What a wonderful way for Pope to open this album titled, The Parts You Keep.

The CD cover-art pictures a small boy peeking through the rungs of a staircase, watching his mother play the grand piano. It's a reflection of Pope's treasured childhood. His mom is an accomplished classical pianist. He includes her in this production, flying to Atlanta for his 85-year-old mother to add her inspiring talents to this project. Pope inserts her performance into the final piece that wraps up this album, adding her solo rendition of the Ernst von Dohnanyl piece, "Opus 13 No. 5." This album, in part, is a remembrance of his youth, when he would wake up to his mother practicing.

Mike Pope has composed five of the nine songs on this album. Three of the other songs are familiar jazz standards. Surrounded by a group of gifted musicians, the excitement and excellence continue as they interpret Charlie Parker's "Steeplechase" composition, followed by John Coltrane's "Giant Steps." On "Steeplechase" Nate Smith is featured with a brief but dynamic drum solo. Roxy Coss joins the party on the Coltrane standard, playing soprano saxophone. Pope's arrangement is quite unusual. In his liner notes he writes that he may have been inspired by Chick Corea, and somewhat by Don Grolnick. His bass solo is impressive, and Keezer's piano playing is wild and brilliant, with Smith's drums slapping the rhythm into place, the perfect creative timekeeper.

Another original, "Dashan's Flying Ubercar" is a tribute to the Uber driver who almost caused Pope and his daughter to miss their train out of NYC. Pope promised him if he could get them to the station on time, he would compose a song in his honor. This is it. Full of spunk and spark, documenting the mad rush, the bumper-to-bumper traffic, the heart-beating, nervous energy that had him holding his breath all the way to the train platform. The quartet does an amazing job of transmitting this emotional turmoil into music. Pope's awesome bass solo is a fusion prayer, musically blessing the event and its positive outcome.

Every song on this album has a rich, comprehensive story that is outlined in the liner notes. The strings that are added to "That Old Feeling" bring beauty and sensuousness to this project in support of Randy Brecker's amazing trumpet solo and the piano brilliance of Geoffrey Keezer.

Mike Pope is some kind of genius, not only as a bassist, but as a clever arranger and a virtuous composer. I will treasure this album for years to come.