Horace Parlan
Horace Parlan | |
---|---|
Born | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | January 19, 1931
Died | February 23, 2017 Korsør, Denmark | (aged 86)
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
Instrument(s) | Piano |
Labels | Blue Note, SteepleChase |
Horace Parlan (January 19, 1931 – February 23, 2017)[1] was an American pianist and composer known for working in the hard bop and post-bop styles of jazz. In addition to his work as a bandleader Parlan was known for his contributions to the Charles Mingus recordings Mingus Ah Um and Blues & Roots.
Early life[edit]
He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States.[2] In his birth year, Parlan was stricken with polio, resulting in the partial crippling of his right hand. The handicap contributed to his development of a particularly "pungent" left-hand chord voicing style, while comping with highly rhythmic phrases with the right.[3]
Later life and career[edit]
Between 1952 and 1957, he worked in Washington D.C. with Sonny Stitt, then spent two years with Mingus' Jazz Workshop.[3] In 1973, Parlan moved to Copenhagen, Denmark. He later settled in the small village of Rude in southern Zealand. In 1974, he completed a State Department tour of Africa with Hal Singer.[3]
His later work, such as a series of duos with the tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp included the album Goin' Home (1977),[2] steeped in gospel music.
Parlan received the 2000 Ben Webster Prize awarded by the Ben Webster Foundation.
He died at a nursing home in Naestved, Denmark at the age of 86. He had been suffering from multiple ailments, including diabetes and failing eyesight.[4][5]
Discography[edit]
As leader[edit]
- Movin' & Groovin' (Blue Note, 1960)
- Us Three (Blue Note, 1960)
- Speakin' My Piece (Blue Note, 1960)
- Headin' South (Blue Note, 1961) – recorded in 1960
- On the Spur of the Moment (Blue Note, 1961)
- Up & Down (Blue Note, 1961)
- Arrival (SteepleChase, 1974) – recorded in 1973
- No Blues (Steeplechase, 1976) – recorded in 1975
- Frank-ly Speaking (Steeplechase, 1977)
- Goin' Home (Steeplechase, 1977) with Archie Shepp
- Blue Parlan (Steeplechase, 1978)
- Hi-Fly (Steeplechase, 1978)
- Musically Yours (Steeplechase, 1979)
- Trouble in Mind (Steeplechase, 1980) with Archie Shepp
- The Maestro (Steeplechase, 1982) – recorded in 1979
- Like Someone in Love (Steeplechase, 1983)
- Pannonica (Enja, 1984) – recorded in 1981
- Glad I Found You (Steeplechase, 1984)
- Happy Frame of Mind (Blue Note, 1986) – recorded in 1963
- Little Esther (Soul Note, 1987)
- Duo Reunion (L+R, 1987) with Archie Shepp
- Keep Your Hands Wide Open (Olufsen, 1988) with Søren S. Eriksen
- Jazzbühne Berlin (Repertoire, 1991) with Mal Waldron Sextet – recorded in 1983
- Swing Low (Plainisphare, 1993) with Archie Shepp – recorded in 1991
- Joinin' Forces (Olufsen, 1994) with Jan Kaspersen
- We Three (Baybridge, 1998)
- Voyage of Rediscovery (Storyville, 1999)
- The Horace Parlan Trio (M&I, 2001) – a.k.a. Kōjō no Tsuki (荒城の月) recorded in 1998
- Horace Parlan (Cope, 2001) – recorded in 1999
- Behind the Blues (Leafage Jazz, 2002) with Staffan William-Olsson recorded in 2001
- Relaxin' with Horace (Stunt, 2004) with Jesper Lundgaard, Ed Thigpen
- My Little Brown Book (Stunt, 2007)
As sideman[edit]
With Dave Bailey
- One Foot in the Gutter (Epic, 1960)
- Gettin' Into Somethin' (Epic, 1961) – recorded in 1960
- Goin' to the Meeting (Prestige, 1961) – recorded in 1960
- Tough Tenor Favorites (Jazzland, 1962) also with Johnny Griffin
- Jaw's Blues (Enja, 1981)
With Lou Donaldson
- The Time Is Right (Blue Note, 1959)
- Sunny Side Up (Blue Note, 1960)
- Midnight Sun (Blue Note, 1980) – recorded in 1960
With Booker Ervin
- That's It! (Candid, 1961)
- Exultation! (Prestige, 1963)
With Dexter Gordon
- Doin' Allright (Blue Note, 1961)
- Stable Mable (SteepleChase, 1975)
With Slide Hampton
- Jazz with a Twist (Atlantic, 1962) – recorded in 1961
- Explosion! The Sound of Slide Hampton (Atlantic, 1962)
With Roland Kirk
- Gifts & Messages (Mercury, 1964)
- I Talk with the Spirits (Limelight, 1965) – recorded in 1964
- Slightly Latin (Limelight, 1965)
With Charles Mingus
- A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry (Bethlehem, 1957)
- Mingus Ah Um (Columbia, 1959)
- Blues & Roots (Atlantic, 1960) – recorded in 1959
With Doug Raney
- I'll Close My Eyes (SteepleChase, 1982)
- Meeting the Tenors (Criss Cross, 1983) – recorded in 1984
With Archie Shepp
- Goin' Home (SteepleChase, 1977)
- Trouble in Mind (SteepleChase, 1980)
- Splashes (L+R, 1987)
- Duo Reunion (L+R, 1987)
- Black Ballads (Timeless, 1992)
With Idrees Sulieman
- Bird's Grass (SteepleChase, 1985) – recorded in 1976
- Groovin' (SteepleChase, 1986) – recorded in 1985
With Stanley Turrentine
- Look Out! (Blue Note, 1960)
- Up at "Minton's" (Blue Note, 1961)
- Salt Song (CTI, 1971)
- Comin' Your Way (Blue Note, 1987) – recorded in 1961
With others
- Gene Ammons, Gene Ammons in Sweden (Enja, 1981) – recorded in 1973
- Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, Motoring Along (Sonet, 1975)
- Johnny Coles, New Morning (Criss Cross Jazz, 1982)
- Pierre Dorge, The Jazzpar Prize (Enja, 1992)
- Frank Foster, The House That Love Built (SteepleChase, 1982)
- Hugo Heredia, Mananita Pampera (Cote d'azur, 1976)
- Langston Hughes, Weary Blues (MGM, 1958)
- Tommy Turrentine, Tommy Turrentine (Time, 1960)
- Kai Winding and Curtis Fuller, Giant Bones '80 (Sonet, 1980)
- various artists, A Moon of Roses[6]
References[edit]
- ^ "Jazzlegenden Horace Parlan er død". Sn.dk. 25 February 2017. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1911. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ a b c Feather, Leonard; Gitler, Ira (18 November 1999). The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. Oxford University Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-19-972907-4. Retrieved October 3, 2021 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Horace Parlan, Jazz Pianist Who Overcame Disability, Dies at 86". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ "Horace Parlan, jazz pianist who overcame disability, dies at 86 - the Washington Post". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
- ^ "A Moon Of Roses (1994, CD)". Discogs.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.