Horace Parlan (January 19, 1931 – February 23, 2017) was an American hard b… Read Full Bio ↴Horace Parlan (January 19, 1931 – February 23, 2017) was an American hard bop and post-bop piano player.
He is noted for his contributions to the classic Charles Mingus recordings Mingus Ah Um and Blues & Roots, a.o..
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1931, in his birth year Parlan was stricken with polio, resulting in the partial crippling of his right hand. The handicap, though, has contributed to his development of a particularly "pungent" left-hand chord voicing style, while comping with highly rhythmic phrases with the right.
Between 1952 and 1957, he worked in Washington DC with Sonny Stitt and 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 Sjælland, Denmark. In 1974 he did a State Department tour of Africa with Hal Singer.
His later work, notably a series of duos with the tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp, including the album Goin' Home, is steeped in gospel music.
He was recipient of the 2000 Ben Webster Prize given by the Ben Webster Foundation.
He died in 2017, in Korsør, Denmark.
Discography
As leader
Movin' & Groovin' (Blue Note, 1960)
Us Three (Blue Note, 1960)
Speakin' My Piece (Blue Note, 1960)
Headin' South (Blue Note, 1960)
On the Spur of the Moment (Blue Note, 1961)
Up & Down (Blue Note, 1961)
Happy Frame of Mind (Blue Note, 1963)
Arrival (SteepleChase, 1974)
No Blues (Steeplechase, 1975)
Frank-ly Speaking (Steeplechase, 1977)
Goin' Home (Steeplechase, 1977)
Trouble in Mind (Steeplechase, 1980)
Blue Parlan (Steeplechase, 1978)
Hi-Fly (Steeplechase, 1978)
Musically Yours (Steeplechase, 1979)
The Maestro (Steeplechase, 1979)
Pannonica (Enja, 1981)
Like Someone in Love (Steeplechase, 1983)
Glad I Found You (Steeplechase, 1984)
Little Esther (Soul Note, 1987)
Alone (Steeplechase)
We Three (Teichiku, 1997)
Kojo No Tsuki (M & I Jazz, 1998)
Relaxin' With Horace (Stunt, 2004)
With Archie Shepp
Goin' Home (SteepleChase, 1977)
Trouble in Mind (SteepleChase, 1980)
Black Ballads (1992)
As sideman
With Gene Ammons
Gene Ammons in Sweden (Enja, 1973 [1981])
With Dave Bailey
One Foot in the Gutter (Epic, 1960)
Gettin' Into Somethin' (Epic, 1961)
With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Tough Tenor Favorites (Jazzland, 1962) - with Johnny Griffin
Goin' to the Meeting (Prestige, 1962)
Jaw's Blues (Enja, 1986)
With Lou Donaldson
The Time is Right (1959)
Sunny Side Up (1960)
Midnight Sun (1960)
With Pierre Dorge
The Jazzpar Prize (1992)
With Booker Ervin
That's It! (1961)
Exultation! (1963)
With Dexter Gordon
Doin' Allright (Blue Note, 1961)
Stable Mable (SteepleChase, 1975)
With Slide Hampton
Jazz with a Twist (Atlantic, 1962)
Explosion! The Sound of Slide Hampton (Atlantic, 1962)
With Langston Hughes
Weary Blues (MGM, 1958)
With Roland Kirk
Gifts & Messages (1964)
Slightly Latin (1965)
With Charles Mingus
Blues & Roots (Atlantic, 1959)
Mingus Ah Um (Columbia, 1959)
A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry (Doxy, 1957)
With Zoot Sims
Motoring Along (1975)
With Idrees Sulieman
Bird's Grass (SteepleChase, 1976 [1985])
Groovin' (SteepleChase, 1985)
With Stanley Turrentine
Look Out! (Blue Note, 1960)
Comin' Your Way (Blue Note, 1961)
Up at "Minton's" (Blue Note, 1961)
Jubilee Shout!!! (Blue Note, 1962)
Salt Song (CTI, 1971)
With Tommy Turrentine
Tommy Turrentine
He is noted for his contributions to the classic Charles Mingus recordings Mingus Ah Um and Blues & Roots, a.o..
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1931, in his birth year Parlan was stricken with polio, resulting in the partial crippling of his right hand. The handicap, though, has contributed to his development of a particularly "pungent" left-hand chord voicing style, while comping with highly rhythmic phrases with the right.
Between 1952 and 1957, he worked in Washington DC with Sonny Stitt and 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 Sjælland, Denmark. In 1974 he did a State Department tour of Africa with Hal Singer.
His later work, notably a series of duos with the tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp, including the album Goin' Home, is steeped in gospel music.
He was recipient of the 2000 Ben Webster Prize given by the Ben Webster Foundation.
He died in 2017, in Korsør, Denmark.
Discography
As leader
Movin' & Groovin' (Blue Note, 1960)
Us Three (Blue Note, 1960)
Speakin' My Piece (Blue Note, 1960)
Headin' South (Blue Note, 1960)
On the Spur of the Moment (Blue Note, 1961)
Up & Down (Blue Note, 1961)
Happy Frame of Mind (Blue Note, 1963)
Arrival (SteepleChase, 1974)
No Blues (Steeplechase, 1975)
Frank-ly Speaking (Steeplechase, 1977)
Goin' Home (Steeplechase, 1977)
Trouble in Mind (Steeplechase, 1980)
Blue Parlan (Steeplechase, 1978)
Hi-Fly (Steeplechase, 1978)
Musically Yours (Steeplechase, 1979)
The Maestro (Steeplechase, 1979)
Pannonica (Enja, 1981)
Like Someone in Love (Steeplechase, 1983)
Glad I Found You (Steeplechase, 1984)
Little Esther (Soul Note, 1987)
Alone (Steeplechase)
We Three (Teichiku, 1997)
Kojo No Tsuki (M & I Jazz, 1998)
Relaxin' With Horace (Stunt, 2004)
With Archie Shepp
Goin' Home (SteepleChase, 1977)
Trouble in Mind (SteepleChase, 1980)
Black Ballads (1992)
As sideman
With Gene Ammons
Gene Ammons in Sweden (Enja, 1973 [1981])
With Dave Bailey
One Foot in the Gutter (Epic, 1960)
Gettin' Into Somethin' (Epic, 1961)
With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Tough Tenor Favorites (Jazzland, 1962) - with Johnny Griffin
Goin' to the Meeting (Prestige, 1962)
Jaw's Blues (Enja, 1986)
With Lou Donaldson
The Time is Right (1959)
Sunny Side Up (1960)
Midnight Sun (1960)
With Pierre Dorge
The Jazzpar Prize (1992)
With Booker Ervin
That's It! (1961)
Exultation! (1963)
With Dexter Gordon
Doin' Allright (Blue Note, 1961)
Stable Mable (SteepleChase, 1975)
With Slide Hampton
Jazz with a Twist (Atlantic, 1962)
Explosion! The Sound of Slide Hampton (Atlantic, 1962)
With Langston Hughes
Weary Blues (MGM, 1958)
With Roland Kirk
Gifts & Messages (1964)
Slightly Latin (1965)
With Charles Mingus
Blues & Roots (Atlantic, 1959)
Mingus Ah Um (Columbia, 1959)
A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry (Doxy, 1957)
With Zoot Sims
Motoring Along (1975)
With Idrees Sulieman
Bird's Grass (SteepleChase, 1976 [1985])
Groovin' (SteepleChase, 1985)
With Stanley Turrentine
Look Out! (Blue Note, 1960)
Comin' Your Way (Blue Note, 1961)
Up at "Minton's" (Blue Note, 1961)
Jubilee Shout!!! (Blue Note, 1962)
Salt Song (CTI, 1971)
With Tommy Turrentine
Tommy Turrentine
Congalegra
Horace Parlan Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Horace Parlan:
Everything Happens to Me Black cats creep across my path Until I'm almost mad I must…
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You Never thought I'd fall, But now I hear love call, I'm gett…
Like Someone In Love Lately, I find myself out gazing at stars, Hearing guitars…
My Foolish Heart The night is like a lovely tune Beware my foolish heart Ho…
My One and Only Love The very thought of you makes my heart sing Like an…
On Green Dolphin Street It seems like a dream, yet I know it happened A…
Prelude to a Kiss If you hear A song in blue Like a flower crying For the…
Return Engagement Rob Hola a todos y bienvenidos a nuestro próximo podcasts av…
Someone to Watch Over Me There's a saying old says that love is blind Still were…
St. James Infirmary It was down by old Joe's barroom, on the corner…
The Song is Ended My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance A moment of…
The Song Is Ended (Remastered) My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance A moment of…
There Is No Greater Love There is no greater love Than what I feel for you No…
There's No Greater Love There is no greater love Than what I feel for you No…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Petros D
I first heard this tune on a jazz radio station 15+ years ago and have had a hard time locating the album. Thank you for posting ! And Ray Barretto, IBAE !
mommybobbi
horace parlan is a patiant in the nursing home i work in. he is so amazing and humble
Michael Hughes
@Jazzhog The rhythm section includes George Tucker (bass), Al Harewood (drums) and Ray Barretto (congas) from the album "Headin' South" recorded December 6, 1960.
Tamarind
top tune dig the late Rays solo he was great playing with the Jazz men
OceanBree_ze
BRILLIANT!!!
Jazz Hog
Thanks for sharing that my man... I kinda thought it was MR. Hard HANDS on them skins. He had a very distinctive and unique type of sound...
Phruishun
Ray Barretto is the Man!
Jazz Hog
Does anyone knows who are in the rhythm section? I'm not sure but those conga drums sound like the Late Great Ray Barreto. But then could be the late Great Patato Valdez...
waynebij
tune
MrDoobie28
@ L'Aquitaine can I play with your congas s'il te plait ? xx