Ars Nova Workshop and WRTI FM present a special live performance by a generation-spanning trio of jazz luminaries, featuring saxophonists Odean Pope and Immanuel Wilkins and Danish drummer Kresten Osgood, at the storied RUBA Club in Philadelphia, March 31, 2022. This performance celebrates the official US launch of Dangerous Sounds, a podcast about Danish jazz history.

Bringing together three leading lights of modern jazz and bridging a generational divide of nearly 60 years, this performance exemplifies the torch-passing reverence that continues to propel adventurous jazz forward while remaining rooted in its storied tradition. At 82 years of age, Philadelphian Odean Pope remains one of the most vigorous and inspired tenor saxophonists in jazz. He’ll be paired with Upper Darby native Immanuel Wilkins, a rising star who recently celebrated the release of The 7th Hand, his second album via the iconic Blue Note Records, following the widespread acclaim of his Omega debut. These two sax masters, who met last year in a remarkable trio date with Chad Taylor, will be ably accompanied by the great drummer Kresten Osgood, an in-demand member of the European jazz scene and host of the Dangerous Sounds podcast.

About the Artists

As Nate Chinen once wrote in JazzTimes, “at home in Philadelphia, and among a circuit of aficionados stretching from Australia to Japan, [Odean Pope’s] name commands a reverence bordering on awe.” A friend of John Coltrane from the iconic saxophonist’s time in Philly, Odean Pope went on to work extensively with legendary drummer Max Roach. He later co-founded the pioneering fusion group Catalyst and his own monumental Odean Pope Saxophone Choir. His most recent release also happens to be his earliest recording; he can be heard on the landmark long-lost release Metaphysics by the elusive pianist Hasaan Ibn Ali.

Alto saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins grew up in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia, and moved to New York City in 2015 to attend The Juilliard School. In the city, he met trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire, who mentored Wilkins and helped him navigate the jazz scene. He also met a musician who would change his professional life: Jason Moran, the prominent pianist and composer who took the young saxophonist on tour. Wilkins has since worked with a diverse range of artists including Solange Knowles, Gretchen Parlato, Wynton Marsalis, Gerald Clayton, Aaron Parks, and Joel Ross, and was hailed by several publications as the Debut Recording of the Year for Omega.

Danish-born drummer Kresten Osgood has played a wide range of music, from marimba bands, African rhythms and organ combos to a wide spectrum of jazz and improvised music, hip hop and R&B. As a drummer he has recorded with Paul Bley, Yusef Lateef, John Tchicai, Oliver Lake, Wadada Leo Smith, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Steven Bernstein, Ran Blake, Sam Rivers, John Tchicai, Derek Bailey, Akira Sakata, Dr Lonnie Smith, and many others.

Dangerous Sounds

Dangerous Sounds is a podcast series in eight episodes telling the story of how American music impacted the world and has helped shape society and the music we listen to today. The series is built on the hugely popular Danish podcast reporting on one hundred years of jazz in Denmark and on how the “dangerous” sounds of jazz went hand in hand with sex, racism, indignation and drugs, and brought us to today, where this music — especially in Europe and the Nordic countries — is more alive than ever.

​The US series is produced by the production company responsible for the original Danish series. Collaborating partners include JazzDanmark, the national Danish organization for jazz, and presenting partner WRTI-Philadelphia. The Dangerous Sounds podcast series will launch in the United States in March 2022.