Elmo Hope - 1961
Elmo Hope’s ‘De-Dah’ is from his 1962 album “Here’s Hope”. He recorded with Clifford Brown, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Jackie McLean but was uncelebrated for the most part. Hope’s compositions are a good example of the Advanced Forms of Destinational Tonality.
The A section is is a straightforward series of alternating I and IV chords each with their own Dominant or Dominant Sister set up (Example 1).
The B section is basically indeterminate. Starting on bar 11 there is a ‘d’ Pedal leading to a G chord, so the root movement is a V-I. Along with the melody, the pedal helps give the changes a Traceable Logic. Example 2 shows the isolated changes. The first and last chords are G minor. Between these poles are two chords built on fourths, one diminished (so could be given four different names) and one that is just plain indeterminate. You can hear the chords are basically directionless on their own.
