Horace Parlan
Horace Parlan (born January 19, 1931 in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , † February 23, 2017 in Korsør , Sjælland ) was an American - Danish jazz pianist who was awarded the Ben Webster Prize .
Live and act
As a child, Parlan developed polio , which resulted in partial crippling of his right hand. Parlan compensated for the handicap by developing his own playing technique, in which the right hand plays distinctly rhythmic phrases, which the left contrasts with broad chords.
Parlan often named Ahmad Jamal and Bud Powell as primary influences , and a strong relationship with blues and rhythm and blues is also evident. Parlan's style blends the complex harmonic schemes of bebop with the Afro-American roots of jazz.
During the 1950s Parlan began playing with various R&B bands, including a. with Clifford Brown . After moving to New York , he joined Charles Mingus' group from 1957 to 1959 . This collaboration promoted his career a lot, with his piano part on the Mingus classics Mingus Ah Um and Blues & Roots , Parlan became known to a wider audience. In 1960 and 1961 Parlan played mainly with Booker Ervin , then in 1962 with the Eddie Lockjaw Davis - Johnny Griffin quintet. From 1963 to 1966 Parlan played with Rahsaan Roland Kirk . In the 1960s, Blue Note made a number of recordings , such as the Speakin 'My Piece and On the Spur of the Moment albums , which he recorded with the Turrentine brothers , George Tucker and Al Harewood .
In 1973 Parlan left the United States and moved to Copenhagen . He gained international attention with a number of recordings with SteepleChase Records , including a series of duets with tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp that evoke echoes of gospel music. Further recordings were made with Dexter Gordon , Red Mitchell and in the 1980s with Frank Foster and Michal Urbaniak , in 1991 with David Murray and Pierre Dørge ( The Jazzpar Prize ). Parlan recorded albums under his own name for the Enja and Timeless labels .
In 1995 Parlan took on Danish citizenship. Almost blind since 2007 and dependent on a wheelchair, he spent his last years in a nursing home in Korsør since he was widowed .
Discographic notes
- Speakin 'My Piece (Blue Note, 1960)
- Up & Down (Blue Note, 1961) with Booker Ervin , Grant Green
- On the Spur of the Moment (Blue Note, 1961)
- Blue Parlan (Steeplechase, 1978) with Wilbur Little , Dannie Richmond
- Glad I Found You (Steeplechase, 1984) with Thad Jones , Eddie Harris , Jesper Lundgaard
- Relaxin 'with Horace (Stunt, 2003) with Jesper Lundgaard , Ed Thigpen
collection
- The Complete Blue Note Horace Parlan Sessions (1960–63; Mosaic , 2000) - 8 LPs or 5 CDs with Sam Jones , Al Harewood , George Tucker , Tommy Turrentine , Stanley Turrentine , Ray Barretto , Booker Ervin , Grant Green , Johnny Coles , Butch Warren , Billy Higgins
Web links
- Literature by and about Horace Parlan in the catalog of the German National Library
- pandora.com biography (English); Link not available from Germany.
- Horace Parlan at Allmusic (English)
- Horace Parlan at Discogs (English)
- Obituary in the Washington Post
Individual evidence
- ^ Af Ritzau: jazz legends Horace Parlan er død. In: SN.dk. Sjællandske Medier, February 25, 2017, accessed February 25, 2017 (Danish).
- ^ Frank Büchmann-Møller: Horace Parlan, RIP In: Jazzpromoservices.com. February 25, 2017, accessed February 25, 2017 .
- ↑ a b c Defiantly with the right. The pianist Horace Parlan is dead. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of February 27, 2017, p. 12.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Parlan, Horace |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American-Danish jazz pianist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 19, 1931 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | 23rd February 2017 |
| Place of death | Korsør , Sjælland , Denmark |