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'''Lynn Hope''' (born [[September 26]], [[1926]] in [[Birmingham]]; died [[February 24]], [[1993]]) was a tenor saxophone player active in the 1940s and 1950s.
'''Lynn Hope''' (born [[September 26]], [[1926]] in [[Birmingham]]; died [[February 24]], [[1993]]) was a tenor saxophone player active in the 1940s and 1950s.


Hope's family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio when he was one year old. After graduating from high school he joined King Kolax's big band. He signed with Miracle Records in [[1950]], but did not record for them. Instead he moved to Premium Records, where
Hope's family moved to Lincoln Heights, near Cincinnati, Ohio, when he was one year old. After graduating from high school he joined King Kolax's big band, where he played alongside Joe Houston and John Coltrane. He signed his combo with Lee Egalnick's Miracle Records in Chicago, Illinois in [[1950]], but before he was able to record, Egalnick had left to found Premium Records, which recorded Hope's biggest hit, "Tenderly," as its first release. The single peaked at #8 on the rhythm & blues chart and at #19 on the pop chart. Chess Records bought Premium's masters when the label folded in [[1951]]. Hope went on to record through [[1957]] for the Los Angeles, California-based Aladdin Records. Most of his Aladdin singles were straightforward performances of jazz standards, with more up-tempo numbers on the B-sides.<!-- Hope recorded his last sessions for King in 1960, then dropped out of sight.-->


Hope converted to Islam and adopted Middle-Eastern and Egyptian dress, and also changed his name to '''Al Hajji Abdullah Rascheed Ahmed'''.
In [[1951]] Hope, who had converted to Ahmadiyya Islam, adopted Middle-Eastern and Egyptian dress, including a variety of custom-made fezzes and turbans. In tours through the South, he made a practice of correcting business owners who attempted to deny service to him and his band, saying, "We are not Negroes but members of the Moslem faith. Our customs are Eastern. We claim the nationality of our Arabic ancestors as well as their customs." He claimed to "invariably" receive courteous treatment.


<!--Hope signed with [[Miracle Records]] in 1950, but the contract proved invalid. He moved to [[Premium Records]], where he recorded "Tenderly," a song that was later picked up by [[Chess Records]]. Hope recorded often for [[Aladdin Records]] between 1951 and 1957, doing such reworked standards as "September Song" and "Summertime." While these numbers were often performed with little or no melodic embellishment or improvisation, the flip sides were often fierce up tempo blues or jump tunes. "Tenderly" earned Hope his only hit in 1950, reaching number eight on the rhythm and blues charts and number 19 on the pop charts.  
Beginning in the early 1950s, Hope was engaged as a regular performer at Al Jenkins' Showboat Lounge in Philadelphia's Douglass Hotel. Hope and his family moved to the city and were active in the local Sunni Muslim community centered around the Adenu Allahe Universal Arabic Association. Hope made his first pilgrimage to Mecca in [[1952]] and later changed his name to '''Al Hajji Abdullah Rascheed Ahmed'''.


Hope recorded his last sessions for King in 1960, then dropped out of sight.-->


==References==
==References==
* "Moslem Musicians: Mohammedan Religion Has Great Appeal For Many Talented Progressive Jazz Men." (April 1953) ''Ebony'' pp. 104–111
* "Moslem Musicians: Mohammedan Religion Has Great Appeal For Many Talented Progressive Jazz Men." (April 1953) ''Ebony'' pp. 104–111
* Graves, Arnold (April 2, 1955) "Music's Man in the Turban: Here Is Another Side of Lynn Hope, a Good Jazz Artist and a Moslem" ''Pittsburgh Courier''


==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 14:00, 18 January 2019

Lynn Hope (born September 26, 1926 in Birmingham; died February 24, 1993) was a tenor saxophone player active in the 1940s and 1950s.

Hope's family moved to Lincoln Heights, near Cincinnati, Ohio, when he was one year old. After graduating from high school he joined King Kolax's big band, where he played alongside Joe Houston and John Coltrane. He signed his combo with Lee Egalnick's Miracle Records in Chicago, Illinois in 1950, but before he was able to record, Egalnick had left to found Premium Records, which recorded Hope's biggest hit, "Tenderly," as its first release. The single peaked at #8 on the rhythm & blues chart and at #19 on the pop chart. Chess Records bought Premium's masters when the label folded in 1951. Hope went on to record through 1957 for the Los Angeles, California-based Aladdin Records. Most of his Aladdin singles were straightforward performances of jazz standards, with more up-tempo numbers on the B-sides.

In 1951 Hope, who had converted to Ahmadiyya Islam, adopted Middle-Eastern and Egyptian dress, including a variety of custom-made fezzes and turbans. In tours through the South, he made a practice of correcting business owners who attempted to deny service to him and his band, saying, "We are not Negroes but members of the Moslem faith. Our customs are Eastern. We claim the nationality of our Arabic ancestors as well as their customs." He claimed to "invariably" receive courteous treatment.

Beginning in the early 1950s, Hope was engaged as a regular performer at Al Jenkins' Showboat Lounge in Philadelphia's Douglass Hotel. Hope and his family moved to the city and were active in the local Sunni Muslim community centered around the Adenu Allahe Universal Arabic Association. Hope made his first pilgrimage to Mecca in 1952 and later changed his name to Al Hajji Abdullah Rascheed Ahmed.


References

  • "Moslem Musicians: Mohammedan Religion Has Great Appeal For Many Talented Progressive Jazz Men." (April 1953) Ebony pp. 104–111
  • Graves, Arnold (April 2, 1955) "Music's Man in the Turban: Here Is Another Side of Lynn Hope, a Good Jazz Artist and a Moslem" Pittsburgh Courier

External links

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