What’s in a name? Or perhaps, what isn’t in a name?
“I didn’t know what we should call ourselves, so I figured this would do in the meantime,” says Matthew Koveal of The No Name Pops, the new orchestra that has emerged in the last year to carry on the pops heritage in a city with a distinguished history in the genre. Koveal, a trumpet player and respected artistic manager, was hired in May 2023 as the Pops’ new executive director, and is leading scores of musicians and administrators in creating the new entity. “I didn’t realize the larger potential behind the name until later,” he says.
That potential is only beginning to be tapped, in a tradition with a long pedigree in this city. From 1979 to 2013 — well over three decades — the legendary Peter Nero led the Philly Pops, founded by Moe Septee. A beloved artist, combining talent and celebrity, Nero died in June.
But the recent seismic changes in the pops landscape raise questions about the nature of pops orchestras, and their role in the cultural firmament.
Snap, Crackle, Pops
In a 1984 article in the New York Times, Will Crutchfield commented on the term “pops” itself. “It refers to what we call ‘light classics’ and to popular music arranged for the standard ‘classical’ symphony orchestra — the ‘1812’ overture, Beatles medleys, Strauss waltzes, and Cole Porter for swooning strings,” he wrote.
Among the dozens of pops orchestras in the United States — in cities as diverse as Atlanta, Rochester, Minneapolis, and Denver — the Boston Pops is the oldest, founded in 1885 with musicians from the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In Cincinnati, the Pops, founded in 1977 by conductor Erich Kunzel, is directly affiliated with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. But the largest such ensemble — the New York Pops, established in 1983 by Ruth and Skitch Henderson — has no affiliation to the New York Philharmonic, and on the west coast, the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra has no relationship to its colleagues in the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Philadelphia likewise falls in this latter, unaffiliated category.
In 2023, “popular music” encompasses artists like vocalist LaKisha Jones — a veteran of American Idol’s sixth season in 2007 — and native Philadelphian and gospel singer Paula Holloway. Each has been featured in a series of 15 No Name Pops free concerts, presented since last May. The organization wants to showcase music that Philadelphians recognize, from across their history to the present day.
As Koveal puts it: “Traditionally, the pops orchestral repertoire focuses on the popular pieces in the classical realm, and tend to be the palatable, more obtainable side of that art form. While the No Name Pops will pay homage to and keep that as an aspect of our programming, we want to take orchestral instruments and use them in a new and daring way, exploring other styles of music to reimagine the symphonic pops canon.”
A More Transparent Era
Like many involved with the No Name Pops, Koveal believes the orchestra’s mission is crucial to the city’s cultural life and character, and echoing Philadelphia’s trademark forthrightness, his involvement suggests a new era of transparency. After the Philly Pops was evicted from the Kimmel Center in January of 2023, a squadron of its dedicated musicians and administrators have spent much of the year planning how to move forward. (Another civic cornerstone and Kimmel tenant, The Philadelphia Orchestra, continues its own labor negotiations, and at the moment is performing under an apparent gentleman’s agreement.)
Koveal and others seem poised to turn the corner, and to establish a new era for Pops orchestras. “To us, our name (or lack thereof) says it all. The No Name Pops doesn’t waste time with nonsense — we give the patrons what they want. We don’t hide behind excuses; we are transparent with our entire community.”
He underlines the orchestra’s purpose: “Our musical approach knows no boundaries. Our performances are for all and our collaborations are unbound by genre and style.” That style runs the gamut from R&B to gospel, from Broadway to rap, and with an emphasis on free performances. The price point is crucial. At a time when performing arts in general are struggling to regain audiences, many people have other budgetary priorities, or (partially due to the pandemic) have abandoned the habit of attending concerts altogether.
The orchestra is committed to being a good neighbor, too. On Oct. 26, the Pops will perform a benefit for CHOP, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, featuring singer Eddie Bruce, founder of the Eddie Bruce Orchestra. And nine holiday concerts in December will carry on a much-loved civic tradition.
A Return to the Kimmel
But a key date arrives on Oct. 28, when the No Name Pops return to the Kimmel Cultural Campus for two concerts titled Let’s Groove: Motown and The Philly Sound! The shows, at 3 and 8 p.m., will feature Chester Gregory (who starred as Berry Gordy in Motown the Musical on Broadway), and up-and-coming R&B artists Ashley Jayy and Brik.Liam, in “Philly sound” works made famous by the Spinners, the Stylistics, and others.
And as Koveal notes, some of the musicians in these concerts performed on the original Motown recording sessions. Emma Kummrow, a violinist, played on dozens of albums of that era, including Gloria Gaynor's Park Avenue Sound and Teddy Pendergrass's Live! Coast to Coast. Davis Barnett, a violist, also appeared on scores of releases, including by The Stylistics and The Salsoul Orchestra. His wife, violinist Diane Barnett, also performed with The Salsoul Orchestra (Magic Journey) and Kool and the Gang (Everybody’s Dancin’). Before she and Davis were married, she recalls skipping work with him for recording sessions, which were sometimes called the night before, with less than 24 hours’ notice. It’s a little mind-blowing to think of these musicians sight-reading charts that would later become timeless hits.
The conductor for the concert will be trumpeter Herb Smith, who has temporarily picked up the Pops baton. In a recent interview, this affable musician exuded a down-to-earth warmth and enthusiasm — eager to talk about growing up listening to Earth, Wind & Fire, The Temptations, Bill Withers and others. (“Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes was my father’s favorite.”) Among his impressive collection of brass instruments, Smith shows off a valve trombone, an instrument he notes was used by Rossini in his opera William Tell. (He jokes, “I play it about as well as I play the guitar.”) Smith has a clear personal mission, and adds, “People say, if money were no object, what would you be doing — what would you like to do? My answer is, exactly what I’m doing now.”
Part of that mission is helping to lead his collaborators into the future. In the wake of Nero’s undeniable cultural significance and impact, a cadre of artists are doggedly forging a new paradigm of “pops” that both honors popular music in 2023, and that respects the broader traditions of the City of Brotherly Love.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that The No Name Pops constitute a relaunch of The Philly Pops. The two are separate organizations.
