As a boy in Atlantic City, Stan Hope scaled rooftops with companions to hear the Count Basie Orchestra performing in the club opposite. The ensemble, featuring Lester Young, Buck Clayton, and Freddie Green among its ranks, convinced him that this was the life he sought. His resolve hardened when an aunt presented him, on his birthday, with Erroll Garner recordings of “Be Anything” and the pianist’s own “Pastels.” Those same pieces later appeared on Hope’s 1998 Savant Records album Pastels.
He acquired almost no formal training, instead instructing himself at a piano his mother purchased when he turned ten. A decade of professional work elapsed before he sought lessons simply to acquire reading skills. His first engagement, on guitar, occurred in 1949, launching a half-century career during which he shared East Coast bandstands with Coleman Hawkins, Hank Mobley, Lorez Alexandria, Johnny Hartman, and Hank Crawford. In New York he has appeared regularly at Birdland, the Village Vanguard, and the Blue Note.
Since roughly 1985 Hope has held the piano chair for vocalist Etta Jones and tenor saxophonist Houston Person, recording frequently alongside both. Pastels marked his second outing as leader, following a 1972 Mainstream Records date. His measured, dependable approach reflects the influence of Erroll Garner and Bud Powell as well as the diverse musicians alongside whom he has worked, positioning him to begin his seventh decade as an active jazz pianist.
