Backgrounder: Elmo Hope - 'Complete Trios'

Pianist Elmo Hope's centenary was on June 27. To celebrate the bebop pianist and composer, here are five hours of Hope's trio recordings between 1953 and 1966.

Before I serve up the music, here are the albums, trios, tracks and their respective times on the Backgrounder:

New Faces - New Sounds (1953), with Elmo Hope (p), Percy Heath (b) and Philly Joe Jones (d).

• 0:00:02 Happy Hour
• 0:02:54 Freffie
• 0:05:59 Carvin' the Rock
• 0:08:52 Hot Sauce
• 0:12:45 Mo Is On
• 0:15:33 Stars Over Marakesh
• 0:18:36 I Remember You
• 0:21:20 It's a Lovely Day Today
• 0:24:07 Sweet and Lovely

Meditations (1955), with Elmo Hope (p), John Ore (b) and Willie Jones (d).

• 0:27:06 All the Things You Are
• 0:30:29 I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You
• 0:35:23 Falling in Love With Love
• 0:38:22 Quit It
• 0:42:44 Huh
• 0:46:32 My Heart Stood Still
• 0:49:54 It's a Lovely Day Today
• 0:53:32 I'm in the Mood for Love
• 0:58:00 Lucky Strike
• 1:00:52 Blue Mo
• 1:07:35 Elmo's Fire

Exploring the Future (1958), with Elmo Hope (p), Curtis Counce (b) and Frank Butler (d).

• 1:11:29 The Countdown

Elmo Hope Trio (1959), with Elmo Hope (p), Jimmy Bond (b) and Frank Butler (d).

• 1:14:26 Eejah
• 1:19:30 B's a Plenty
• 1:24:05 Barfly
• 1:30:19 Boa
• 1:36:32 Something for Kenny
• 1:42:43 Like Someone in Love
• 1:50:13 Minor Bertha
• 1:55:00 Tranquility

Elmo Hope Trio (1961), with Elmo Hope (p,arr) Percy Heath (b) Philly Joe Jones (d).

• 1:58:02 La Berthe
• 2:01:13 Homecoming
• 2:06:25 One Mo' Blues
• 2:13:10 Imagination

Elmo Hope Trio (1963), with Elmo Hope (p) Ronnie Boykins (b) Philly Joe Jones (d).

• 2:19:57 Kevin
• 2:24:10 Three Silver Quarters

Here's Hope (1961), with Elmo Hope (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Philly Joe Jones (d).

• 2:29:00 Hot Sauce
• 2:32:34 When the Groove Is Low
• 2:37:38 Freddie
• 2:41:20 De-Dah
• 2:45:49 Abdullah
• 2:49:34 Stars Over Marrakesh

High Hope (1961), with Elmo Hope (p), Paul Chambers (b) and Philly Joe Jones (d).

• 2:58:28 Chips
• 3:03:28 Moe's Bluff
• 3:07:51 Happy Hour

High Hope (1961), with Elmo Hope (p) Butch Warren (b) Wilbert Granville T. Hogan (d).

• 3:11:58 Moe Is On
• 3:16:31 Maybe So
• 3:21:12 Crazy

The Final Session, Vols. 1 and 2 (1966), with Elmo Hope (p), John Ore (b) and Clifford Jarvis (d).

• 3:23:35 Toothsome Threesome
• 3:34:41 Low Tide
• 3:39:30 Bird's View
• 3:44:19 If I Could I Would
• 3:50:45 Vi Ann
• 3:59:33 Somebody Loves Me
• 4:05:59 Grammy
• 4:14:21 Bertha My Dear
• 4:22:26 Roll On   
• 4:28:16 Punch That

With Elmo Hope (p) John Ore (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)

• 4:37:56 I Love You
• 4:51:14 A Night in Tunisia
• 5:01:32 Stellations
• 5:03:16 Pam
• 5:06:00 Elmo's Blues

Here's Elmo Hope Trio: Complete Studio Recordings without ad interruptions...

Other ad-free Backgrounders in my series:

• Zoot Sims Plays Bossa Nova, go here.
• Lee Morgan: Lee-Way, go here.
• Bossa Nova for Swinging Lovers, go here.
• Leon Spencer: Louisiana Slim, go here.
• Bossa Nova Modern Quartet: Bossa Nova Jazz Samba, go here.
• Bill Evans & Luiz Eça: Piano Four Hands, go here.
• Ray Brown Trio: Don't Get Sassy, go here.
• Os Tatuis: Os Tatuis, go here.
• Waltel Branco: Mancini Tambem É Samba, go here.
• Jack Wilson Plays Brazilian Mancini, go here.
• Conjunto Copacabana Bossa: Bossa, go here.
• Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly, go here.
• Charles Earland: Charles Earland, go here.
• Kenny Burrell: Crash! w/ Jack McDuff, go here.
• Jack McDuff: The Heatin' System, go here.
• Horace Silver: Horace-Scope, go here.
• Antonio Carlos Jobim: Wave, go here.
• Sonny Stitt: Sonny Stitt Plays, go here.
• Sonny Stitt with Bennie Green: My Main Man, go here.
• Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines: Stride Right, go here.
• Lionel Hampton: Bossa Nova Jazz, go here.
• Johnny Hodges & Ben Webster: Cellar Session, go here.
• Bill Evans: Solo Sessions Vol. 1, go here.
• Frank Wess: Trombones & Flute, go here.
• Presenting the Buddy DeFranco & Tommy Gumina Quartet, go here.
• Ernest Ranglin: Wranglin', go here.
• Dave Pell Octet: Plays Rodgers & Hart, go here.
• Milt Buckner: Block Chords Parade, go here.
• Roberto Menescal: A Nova Bossa, go here.
• Count Basie: Have a Nice Day, go here.
• Freddie Green: Mr. Rhythm, go here.
• Leny Andrade: Leny Andrade, go here.
• Johnny Alf: Ele é Johnny Alf, go here.
• Dodo Marmarosa: Dodo's Back, go here.
• Freddie Redd: The Music From the Connection, go here.
• Nicola Stilo & Toninho Horta: Duets, go here.
• Urbie Green: Persuasive Trombone, go here.
• Johnny Richards: Something Else, go here.
• Wayne Shorter: JuJu, go here.
• Hampton Hawes: All Night Session!, go here.
• Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, go here.
• Chet Baker: Pretty/Groovy, go here.
• Sonny Stitt: The Sensual Sound of Sonny Stitt, go here.
• Gil Mellé: New Faces, New Sounds, go here.
• Herbie Mann and Charlie Rouse: Just Wailin', go here.
• Bobby Hackett: Memorable & Mellow, go here.
• Tina Brooks: Back to the Tracks, go here.
• Sonny Rollins Plays for Bird, go here.
• Red Garland: A Garland of Red, go here.
• Grant Green: Gooden's Corner, go here.
• Eumir Deodato Plays Marcos Valle, go here.
• Horace Parlan; Movin' & Groovin', go here.
• Russ Garcia: Four Horns and a Lush Life, go here.
• Vic Lewis: Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away, go here.
• Buddy Collette's Swinging Shepherds, go here.
• Dizzy Gillespie: Gillespiana, go here.
• Nelson Riddle: Communication, go here.
• Nelson Riddle: Changing Colors, go here.