Informal Jazz. Elmo Hope Sextet (sacd)

The Elmo Hope Sextet

SACD Hybrid/ Mono/ DSD

Overshadowed throughout his life by his friends Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, Elmo Hope was a talented pianist and composer in his own right. He recorded in New York as a band leader with greats Sonny Rollins, Lou Donaldson, Clifford Brown and Jackie McLean, but the loss of his cabaret card due to drug use made it difficult for him to make a living in New York. He toured with Chet Baker, performed with Lionel Hampton and recorded with Harold Land and Curtis Counce, but a short prison sentence didn't help his drug problem and he died in 1967. Originally released in 1956, Hope's superb album Informal Jazz is now available on SACD. Hope’s solo spots are the best part of the record but some of the most well-known jazz artists of the time also guested, including tenor sax greats John Coltrane and Hank Mobley and trumpeter Donald Byrd.

Price: $43.98