St. Elmo Sylvester Hope Jr.was born on this day (June 27), the only child of hard working West Indian immigrants, in New York in 1923. Elmo was one of the unsung greats in Jazz music and he died on May 19, 1967 at age 43 of heart failure and pneumonia. Mr. Hope grew up with his two closest friends, Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. Powell and Monk, despite the extreme difficulties in their lives achieved Jazz immortality and fame but Elmo Hope did not. He is deserving of the same kind of respect as Bud and Monk as he is not only an original pianist but a fine composer as well. His piano style suggests Bud and Monk, of course but it is all Elmo Hope. T
This Feature album is called "Homecoming!" and marked his return to New York after four rather unhappy years in Los Angeles. It's divided into two sections. Three tunes are brand new and features a sextet with tenor saxophonists Fran Foster and Jimmy Heath and trumpeter Blue Mitchell plus Percy Heath on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The rest of the album is made up of Mr. Hope on piano in a trio setting with Heath and Jones. Four tunes make up this segment and have three Hope composition and one lovely standard named "Imagination". This is the Jazz Show's tribute and Birthday greeting to one of the unsung giants of Jazz.....Mr. Elmo Hope.