Horace Parlan Piano January 19, 1931 --

Horace Parlan

"Horace Parlan is a unique stylist. His soulfulness, his exuberance and inventiveness, create a climate different from anything else in jazz."

--Chris Fujiwara

Born in Pittsburgh, Horace Parlan studied piano from the age of 12 and after suffering from polio developed a strong left-hand technique. He played in Pittsburgh (1952-57) and briefly with Sonny Stitt in Washington, D.C., then performed and recorded with Charles Mingus's Jazz Workshop (1957-59), Lou Donaldson (1959-60), the Playhouse Four with Booker Ervin, George Tucker, and Al Harewood (1960-61), a quintet led by Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin (1961-62), and Roland Kirk (1963-66).

In 1973 he moved to Copenhagen, where he recorded regularly for Steeplechase with Dexter Gordon (1975), Red Mitchell (1976), Frank Foster (1982), and Michal Urbaniak (1984), and as a leader. Parlan cites Ahmad Jamal, Bud Powell, and James Miller as having most strongly influenced his style, and emphasizes the importance of his association with Mingus.

--PAUL RINZLER, The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz

A selected discography of Horace Parlan albums.

• Movin' and Groovin', 1960, Blue Note.
• Us Three, 1960, Blue Note.
• Spur of the Moment, 1961, Blue Note.
• Happy Frame of Mind, 1963, Blue Note.
• Blue Parlan, 1978, SteepleChase.
• Pannonica, 1981, Enja.
• Glad I Found You, 1984, SteepleChase.

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