Horace Parlan (January 19, 1931 – February 23, 2017) was an American pianist and composer known for working in the hard bop and

post-bop Post-bop is a genre of small-combo jazz that evolved in the early to mid 1960s in the United States. Pioneers of the genre, such as Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane and Jackie McLean, crafted syntheses ...

styles of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

. In addition to his work as a bandleader Parlan was known for his contributions to the

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians an ...

recordings ''

Mingus Ah Um ''Mingus Ah Um'' is a studio album by American jazz musician Charles Mingus which was released in October 1959 by Columbia Records. It was his first album recorded for Columbia. The cover features a painting by S. Neil Fujita. The title is a corr ...

'' and ''

Blues & Roots ''Blues & Roots'' is an album by Charles Mingus, recorded in 1959 and released on the Atlantic label in 1960. It has been reissued on CD by both Atlantic and Rhino. Inspiration Mingus explained the origins of this record in the album's liner no ...

''.

Early life

He was born in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, United States. 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.

Later life and career

Between 1952 and 1957, he worked in Washington D.C. with Sonny Stitt, then spent two years with Mingus' Jazz Workshop. 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. His later work, such as a series of duos with the tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp included the album '' Goin' Home'' (1977), steeped in

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is co ...

. 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.

Discography

As leader

* '' Movin' & Groovin''' ( Blue Note, 1960) * '' Us Three'' (Blue Note, 1960) * '' Speakin' My Piece'' (Blue Note, 1960) * ''

Headin' South ''Headin' South'' is a 1918 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Arthur Rosson with supervision from Allan Dwan and starring Douglas Fairbanks. The film is now considered to be lost. Plot As described in a film magazine, a fore ...

'' (Blue Note, 1961) – recorded in 1960 * '' On the Spur of the Moment'' (Blue Note, 1961) * '' Up & Down'' (Blue Note, 1961) * '' Arrival'' (

SteepleChase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

, 1974) – recorded in 1973 * ''

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'' (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 ''Glad I Found You'' is an album by American jazz pianist Horace Parlan featuring performances recorded in 1984 and released on the Danish-based SteepleChase label.

'' (Steeplechase, 1984) * '' Happy Frame of Mind'' (Blue Note, 1986) – recorded in 1963 * '' Little Esther'' (

Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

, 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. ' 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

With Dave Bailey * '' One Foot in the Gutter'' (Epic, 1960) * '' Gettin' Into Somethin''' (Epic, 1961) – recorded in 1960 With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis * ''

Goin' to the Meeting ''Goin' to the Meeting'' is an album by saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis recorded in 1962 for the Prestige label.Tough Tenor Favorites'' (Jazzland, 1962) also with Johnny Griffin * ''

Jaw's Blues ''Jaw's Blues'' is a live album by American jazz saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis recorded in Munich in 1981 and released on the German Enja label.Di Filippo, R.Enciclopedia del Jazz: Eddie "Lockjaw" Davisaccessed April 10, 2017 Critical receptio ...

'' (Enja, 1981) With Lou Donaldson * '' The Time Is Right'' (Blue Note, 1959) * '' Sunny Side Up'' (Blue Note, 1960) * ''

Midnight Sun The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer months in places north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle, when the Sun remains visible at the local midnight. When the midnight sun is seen in the Arctic, ...

'' (Blue Note, 1980) – recorded in 1960 With

Booker Ervin Booker Telleferro Ervin II (October 31, 1930 – August 31, 1970) was an American tenor saxophone player. His tenor playing was characterised by a strong, tough sound and blues/gospel phrasing. He is remembered for his association with bassi ...

* ''

That's It! ''That's It!'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Booker Ervin featuring performances recorded in 1961 for the Candid label.Exultation!'' (Prestige, 1963) With Dexter Gordon * '' Doin' Allright'' (Blue Note, 1961) * '' Stable Mable'' (SteepleChase, 1975) With

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tuba and flugel ...

* ''

Jazz with a Twist ''Jazz with a Twist'' is an album by American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger Slide Hampton which was released on the Atlantic label in 1962.Explosion! The Sound of Slide Hampton'' (Atlantic, 1962) With Roland Kirk * '' Gifts & Messages'' (Mercury, 1964) * ''

I Talk with the Spirits ''I Talk with the Spirits'' is a 1965 album by American jazz musician Roland Kirk. Kirk plays only flutes for this album, not the saxophone or other instruments he commonly used. It contains the first appearance of the song "Serenade to a Cuckoo", ...

'' (Limelight, 1965) – recorded in 1964 * '' Slightly Latin'' (Limelight, 1965) With

* ''

A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry ''A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry'' is an album by the jazz bassist, composer, and band leader Charles Mingus, released by Bethlehem Records in mid-1959. In spite of the title, the album does not contain any poetry. "Scenes in the Cit ...

'' (Bethlehem, 1957) * ''

'' (Columbia, 1959) * ''

'' (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 Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and ...

, '' Gene Ammons in Sweden'' (Enja, 1981) – recorded in 1973 * Al Cohn and

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

, '' 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 ''The House That Love Built'' is an album by saxophonist Frank Foster which was recorded in Copenhagen in 1982 and released on the SteepleChase label.Hugo Heredia, ''Mananita Pampera'' (Cote d'azur, 1976) *

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, H ...

, '' Weary Blues'' (MGM, 1958) * Tommy Turrentine, ''Tommy Turrentine'' (Time, 1960) *

Kai Winding Kai Chresten Winding ( ; May 18, 1922 – May 6, 1983) was a Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is known for his collaborations with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson. His version of "More", the theme from the movie '' Mondo Ca ...

and

Curtis Fuller Curtis DuBois Fuller (December 15, 1932May 8, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings. Early life Fuller was born in Detroit on December 15, 19 ...

, '' Giant Bones '80'' (Sonet, 1980) * various artists, ''A Moon of Roses''

References

External links

BBC World Service - A Portrait of Horace Parlan
* Biography at AllMusicbr>Article at ''All About Jazz''Soul Note CatalogueHorace Parlan -Pittsburgh Music History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parlan, Horace 1931 births 2017 deaths American jazz pianists American male pianists Hard bop pianists Musicians from Pittsburgh Post-bop pianists SteepleChase Records artists Enja Records artists Blue Note Records artists People with polio Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania American male jazz musicians