ARS NOVA WORKSHOP invites you to a new opportunity for “radical playfulness”!

RECESS is a new immersive performance created by Odean Pope and Immanuel Wilkins.

Join us as we transform a North Philadelphia warehouse into a sculptural playground for sound! RECESS invites audiences inside a living model of improvisation, in an installation that is part bandstand, part score, part jungle gym—designed by Immanuel Wilkins and Rachael Elliott of Studio Senjeh. Performance artist Jennifer Kidwell acts as guide and facilitator in this experience of “radical play.”

This performance came about when Odean Pope—undisputed jazz master and elder of Philadelphia’s creative music community—was looking for ways to expand his (already wide!) creative horizons. He invited five of the most creative musicians he knew to join him in a series of sessions exploring “radical play,” with the only instruction being: “No talk, just play.” The resulting sessions became inspiring lessons in how attuned musicians can provoke, respond, and encourage one another. Envelopes were pushed! Boundaries were stretched! Magic was created!

So of course we asked this ensemble to take the RECESS stage and discover what they can do! It starts with Odean Pope, who studied closely with John Coltrane in his youth and later toured extensively with Max Roach while developing his own groundbreaking Saxophone Choir. A central figure in Philadelphia’s musical life for more than half a century, he has shaped generations of improvisers through performance and teaching. He is the recipient of a Pew Fellowship and the MidAtlantic “Living Legacy Award,” among many other honors. He is joined by:

·      Craig McIver, one of the best-known veterans in the Philadelphia jazz community.  Throughout his career, the drummer, percussionist and composer has balanced a progressive edge with a firm grounding in the traditions and techniques of classical music and jazz. He is best known for his original compositions and his collaborations with Odean Pope, Khan Jamal, Bobby Zankel, and one of the most influential jazz drummers in history, Max Roach.

·      Diane Monroe’s visibility as a jazz artist began with her long-standing membership as first violinist of the Uptown String Quartet and the Max Roach Double Quartet. Ms. Monroe has performed in ensembles led by Odean Pope, Bobby Zankel’s Warriors of the Wonderful Sound, and in a quartet with Tony Miceli, vibraphonist, which performed at the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center.

·      Victor North came to Philadelphia from Alaska, via Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, to immerse himself in the rich culture of the “City Of Brotherly Love,” where so many of his musical heroes got their start. He has played in bands led by Mickey Roker, Charles Fambrough, Orrin Evans, John Swana, Jimmy Bruno, and Elio Villafranca and has toured with legendary jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco.

·      Harold E. Smith, originally from Pittsburgh, began as a jazz drummer, studying with the legendary Elvin Jones and performing alongside innovators like Sam Rivers and Joe McPhee. A lifelong jazz musician, Smith discovered the didgeridoo nearly three decades ago, blending world music traditions with the improvisational spirit of jazz. He has collaborated with acclaimed artists such as Byard Lancaster, Steve Turre, and Badal Roy.

·      Philly-born bassist Nimrod Speaks obtained his Bachelor’s in Music from Kutztown University and a Masters in Jazz Studies from Rutgers University. Nimrod continued his musical journey by honing his craft in not only jazz but also gospel, classical, soul, R&B, and African Rhythms. He has toured with Greg Osby, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ronnie Burrage, Doc Gibbs, Hannibal Lokumbe, Jerry Topinka, Camille Thurman, Curtis Taylor, Dr. Matthew Clayton, and others.

Immanuel Wilkins also joins the group for this second activation of “radical play”.