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/co-leader[edit]
Year recorded | Year released | Title | Label | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1960 | 1960 | Movin' & Groovin' | Blue Note | Trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Al Harewood (drums) |
1960 | 1960 | Us Three | Blue Note | Trio, with George Tucker (bass), Al Harewood (drums) |
1960 | 1960 | Speakin' My Piece | Blue Note | Quintet, with Tommy Turrentine (trumpet), Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax), George Tucker (bass), Al Harewood (drums) |
1960 | 1961 | Headin' South | Blue Note | Some tracks trio, with George Tucker (bass), Al Harewood (drums); most tracks quartet, with Ray Barretto (congas) added |
1961 | 1961 | On the Spur of the Moment | Blue Note | Quintet, with Tommy Turrentine (trumpet), Stanley Turrentine (tenor sax), George Tucker (bass), Al Harewood (drums) |
1961 | 1961 | Up & Down | Blue Note | Quintet, with Booker Ervin (tenor sax), Grant Green (guitar), George Tucker (bass), Al Harewood (drums) |
1963 | 1976 | Happy Frame of Mind | Blue Note | One track quintet, with Johnny Coles (trumpet), Booker Ervin (tenor sax), Butch Warren (bass), Billy Higgins (drums); other tracks sextet, with Grant Green (guitar) added; originally released as part of Booker Ervin's Back from the Gig; released in Parlan's name in 1986[6][7] |
1973 | 1974 | Arrival | SteepleChase | Some tracks trio, with Hugo Rasmussen (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums); some tracks quintet, with Idrees Sulieman (flugelhorn), Bent Jædig (tenor sax) added |
1975 | 1976 | No Blues | Steeplechase | Trio, with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass), Tony Inzalaco (drums) |
1977 | 1977 | Frank-ly Speaking | Steeplechase | Quintet, with Frank Foster (tenor sax), Frank Strozier (alto sax), Lisle Atkinson (bass) Al Harewood (drums) |
1977 | 1977 | Goin' Home | Steeplechase | Duo, co-led with Archie Shepp (tenor sax, soprano sax) |
1978 | 1978 | Hi-Fly | Steeplechase | Trio, with Doug Raney (guitar), Wilbur Little (bass) |
1978 | 1978 | Blue Parlan | Steeplechase | Trio, with Wilbur Little (bass), Dannie Richmond (drums) |
1979 | 1979 | Musically Yours | Steeplechase | Solo piano |
1979 | 1982 | The Maestro | Steeplechase | Solo piano |
1980 | 1980 | Trouble in Mind | Steeplechase | Duo, co-led with Archie Shepp (tenor sax, soprano sax) |
1981 | 1984 | Pannonica | Enja | Trio, with Reggie Johnson (bass), Alvin Queen (drums) |
1983 | 1983 | Like Someone in Love | Steeplechase | Trio, with Jesper Lundgaard (bass), Dannie Richmond (drums) |
1983 | 1991 | Jazzbühne Berlin | Repertoire | Solo piano; album shared with Mal Waldron |
1984 | 1984 | Glad I Found You | Steeplechase | Quintet, with Thad Jones (flugelhorn), Eddie Harris (tenor sax), Jesper Lundgaard (bass), Aage Tanggaard (drums) |
1987 | 1987 | Little Esther | Soul Note | Quartet, with Per Goldschmidt (baritone sax), Klavs Hovman (bass), Massimo De Majo (drums) |
1987 | 1987 | Duo Reunion | L+R | Duo, co-led with Archie Shepp (tenor sax) |
1988 | Keep Your Hands Wide Open | Olufsen | Most tracks duo, with Soren S. Eriksen (alto sax); one track trio, with Thomas Helmig (vocals) added | |
1991 | 1993 | Swing Low | Plainisphare | Duo, co-led with Archie Shepp (tenor sax, alto sax, vocals); in concert[8] |
1994 | Joinin' Forces | Olufsen | Duo, co-led with Jan Kaspersen (piano) | |
1998 | We Three | Baybridge | Trio, with Mads Vinding (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums) | |
1999 | Voyage of Rediscovery | Storyville | Solo piano | |
1998 | 2001 | The Horace Parlan Trio | M&I | Trio, with Jesper Lundgaard (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums); also released as Kōjō no Tsuki (荒城の月) |
2001 | 2002 | Behind the Blues | Leafage Jazz | Some tracks trio, with Mads Vinding (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums); some tracks quartet, with Staffan William-Olsson (guitar) added |
2003 | Relaxin' with Horace | Stunt | Trio, with Jesper Lundgaard (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums) | |
2007 | My Little Brown Book | Stunt | Trio, with Christina Von Bulow (alto sax), Jesper Lundgaard (bass) |
Main source:[9]
Documentary, released on DVD: Horace Parlan by Horace Parlan[10]
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
- Splashes (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[11]
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.
- ^ "Blue Note Records Catalog: 4100 series". jazzdisco. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomans. "Happy Frame of Mind: Horace Parlan". AllMusic. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ Yanow, Scott. "Swing Low: Archie Shepp". AllMusic. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^ "Horace Parlan Discography". jazzdisco. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ "Horace Parlan by Horace Parlan". loc.gov. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^ "A Moon Of Roses (1994, CD)". Discogs.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.