Elmo Hope

Of the collections of Elmo Hope's '50s recordings, Trio and Quintet is the one to get. It includes his prime Blue Note sessions and features a stellar cast of hard bop musicians including Art Blakey, Frank Foster, Philly Joe Jones, and Harold Land. The majority of the tunes are Hope originals which, in their angular introspection, bear the influence of both Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. Things begin with ten mostly hard bop swingers from a trio date in 1953. Prominently featured is Hope's Powell like, single line attack. Solos stay brisk and straightforward on uptempo numbers like "Hot Sauce," but turn a bit mercurial on slower pieces like "Happy Hour." Standout tracks include Hope's "Mo Is On" with its "off to the races" opening statement and "Carvin' the Rock," which falls somewhere between Powell's "Parisian Thoroughfare" and "So Sorry Please." Percy Heath and Philly Joe Jones provide sympathetic support throughout. The Quintet tracks start with an East Coast session featuring Foster and Blakey. The opening number is the convoluted, yet hard swinging original "Crazy"; it causes some problems for trumpeter Freeman Lee, but finds Foster in command with a vigorous solo statement.

Elmo Hope Trio is an album by jazz pianist Elmo Hope recorded in 1959 and originally released on the Hifijazz label but rereleased on Contemporary Records.

Harold Land’s hard bop album “The Fox” was originally released in 1960, with Contemporary Records reissuing it in ‘69. Featuring Harold Land (tenor sax), Dupree Bolton (trumpet), Elmo Hope (piano), Herbie Lewis (bass), Frank Butler (drums) it was produced by David Axelrod. This new edition features remastered hi-res audio from the original tapes.

Elmo Hope - Elmo Hope with Jimmy Bond & Frank Butler (1959) {Contemporary OJCCD-477-2 rel 1990}
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© 1959, 1990 Contemporary / Fantasy | OJCCD-477-2
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Piano

The boppish and fairly original Elmo Hope performs seven of his obscure originals, many of which are well worth reviving, plus "Like Someone In Love" in a trio with bassist Jimmy Bond and drummer Frank Butler. Bop and straight-ahead jazz fans wanting to hear a talented pianist play fresh tunes should explore Elmo Hope's valuable music.

Elmo Hope - The Final Sessions, Volume Two (1966) {Specialty Records OJCCD-1766-2 rel 1991}
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© 1966, 1991 Specialty Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-1766-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Piano

While there have been other items dubbed "final sessions," these tracks issued on Inner City Records – originally done for the Festival label – are truly Elmo Hope's parting-shot recordings, done in 1966 before his death in May of 1967. With bassist John Ore and either drummer Clifford Jarvis in the main or Philly Joe Jones on one cut, Hope's incredible virtuosity and individuality were with him right to the end. A disciple of Bud Powell with a touch of Thelonious Monk mixed in, Hope was definitely their equivalent as he matured and grew, with Herbie Nichols and Phineas Newborn as potential rival peer talents.

Elmo Hope - The Final Sessions, Volume One (1966) {Specialty Records OJCCD-1765-2 rel 1991}
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© 1966, 1991 Specialty Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-1765-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Piano

While there have been other items dubbed "final sessions," these tracks issued on Inner City Records – originally done for the Festival label – are truly Elmo Hope's parting-shot recordings, done in 1966 before his death in May of 1967. With bassist John Ore and either drummer Clifford Jarvis in the main or Philly Joe Jones on one cut, Hope's incredible virtuosity and individuality were with him right to the end. A disciple of Bud Powell with a touch of Thelonious Monk mixed in, Hope was definitely their equivalent as he matured and grew, with Herbie Nichols and Phineas Newborn as potential rival peer talents.

Elmo Hope - Sounds from Rikers Island (1963) {Audio Fidelity–Fresh Sound FSR-CD338 rel 2003}
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© 1963, 2003 Audio Fidelity / Fresh Sound Records | FSR-CD 338
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Piano

Kudos to Spain's Fresh Sound label for digging this one out of its undeserved obscurity. This 1963 session assembled by composer Sid Frey, pianist and composer Elmo Hope, and vibist Walt Dickerson (who doesn't appear on the record) is a blowing date centered around the notion of drug addiction and hopelessness for the addict/slave musician who ends up in places like Rikers Island. As a cultural and social critique, it fails other than in its liner notes. As a musical document, it is an overwhelming success. Hope surrounds himself with musicians whose reputations are now legendary: Philly Joe Jones, John Gilmore, Ronnie Boykins, Lawrence Jackson, and Freddie Douglas.

Elmo Hope - Hope-Full (1961) {Riverside OJCCD-1872-2 rel 1995}
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© 1961, 1995 Riverside / Fantasy | OJCCD-1872-2
Jazz / Bop / Piano

During the early years of the bop revolution, few of its younger pianists recorded unaccompanied solos. Even by 1961, solo albums by the bop musicians were considered a bit unusual, but Elmo Hope (an underrated composer and pianist) fares quite well during this Riverside set, which has been reissued on CD. Hope is joined by his wife Bertha on second piano during three of the eight numbers, most notably on a swinging "Blues Left and Right." Of the solo pieces, Elmo Hope is at his best on "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and a cocktailish, but appealing, version of "Liza."

Elmo Hope - Hope Meets Foster (1955) {Prestige OJCCD-1703-2 rel 1991}
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© 1955, 1991 Prestige Records / Fantasy | OJCCD-1703-2
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Piano

This session featuring pianist Elmo Hope and tenor saxophonist Frank Foster was originally recorded on October 4, 1955 in Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack Studio for Bob Weinstock and Prestige Records. Rounding out the quintet are Freeman Lee on trumpet, John Ore on bass and Art Taylor on drums. The group tackles three Hope originals, two Foster originals and a solid rendition of "Georgia On My Mind." Hope had a very unique piano style which to me was a perfect synthesis of Monk and Bud, but his career was ultimately stunted due to drug addiction, incarceration, overall poor health, and ultimately his premature death in 1967 at the age of 44. The music should please bop fans.