Horace Parlan

Horace Parlan (January 19, 1931 – February 23, 2017) 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
He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 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.

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.

As leader/co-leader
Main source:

Documentary, released on DVD: Horace Parlan by Horace Parlan

As sideman
With Dave Bailey
 * One Foot in the Gutter (Epic, 1960)
 * Gettin' Into Somethin' (Epic, 1961) – rec. 1960

With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
 * Goin' to the Meeting (Prestige, 1961) – rec. 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) – rec. 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) – rec. 1961
 * Explosion! The Sound of Slide Hampton (Atlantic, 1962)

With Roland Kirk
 * Gifts & Messages (Mercury, 1964)
 * I Talk with the Spirits (Limelight, 1965) – rec. 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) – rec. 1959

With Doug Raney
 * I'll Close My Eyes (SteepleChase, 1982)
 * Meeting the Tenors (Criss Cross, 1983) – rec. 1984

With Archie Shepp
 * Splashes (L+R, 1987)
 * Black Ballads (Timeless, 1992)

With Idrees Sulieman
 * Bird's Grass (SteepleChase, 1985) – rec. 1976
 * Groovin' (SteepleChase, 1986) – rec. 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) – rec. 1961

With others
 * Gene Ammons, Gene Ammons in Sweden (Enja, 1981) – rec. 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