Elmo Hope Trio

Although he never attained the level of recognition of his contemporaries Thelonious Monk or Bud Powell, Elmo Hope's highly individual piano playing and compositions have placed him at the top of the hard bop pantheon and he remains one of the most influential pianists of the post bop era. Beginning in the early 1950's, he recorded in New York as a leader and as a sideman with Sonny Rollins, Lou Donaldson, Clifford Brown, Jackie McLean and Chet Baker, but moved to Los Angeles in 1957 after losing his cabaret card in New York for drug use. He went on to perform with Lionel Hampton and recorded with Harold Land and Curtis Counce in Los Angeles. He also recorded as a leader with Frank Foster, John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Art Blakey, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones before he fell victim to a drug overdose in 1967. This rare trio session recorded in February, 1960, featuring Jimmy Bond on bass and Frank Butler on drums, ranks among his finest recordings and features all original compositions plus a beautiful rendition of Jimmy Van Heusen's "Like Someone in Love". All selections newly remastered.