Elmo Hope - 1961

‘When the Groove is Low’ was released on the 1962 album “Here’s Hope”. Elmo Hope was a unique voice of New Jazz emerging at this time.

When the Groove is Low
When the Groove is Low
When the Groove is Low
When the Groove is Low

Pretty hard to not think of Thelonious Monk when you hear this tune. It’s not derivative in any way but it comes from the same sensibility – open voicings, exposed dissonance and above all an “angular” approach to rhythm and punctuation. Try paying close attention to the perfect accompaniment of both Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums. They clearly knew what Hope was up to.

There are lots of Advanced and Open Form elements here (Link). The intro is a series of Indeterminate Chords over a ‘c’ pedal (for instance, the first chord could just as easily be called a C7,11). The chord names are meant mostly as memory aids.
The A-section is just a I and IV in the key of F minor. I took some liberties in the last two bars of the B-section ‘cause I’m pretty sure Hope messed up a little.