Horace Parlan

Despite a childhood polio infection that left his right hand partially impaired, Horace Parlan built a thriving career at the piano. He wove frenetic, rhythm-driven right-hand lines into his distinctive approach, juxtaposing them against emphatic left-hand chordal statements. Blues and R&B sensibilities further shaped his playing, which often unfolded in a lean, at times brooding manner. Ahmad Jamal and Bud Powell remained the two artists he repeatedly named as his chief inspirations. During the 1950s he worked in various R&B ensembles, then moved from Pittsburgh to New York and spent 1957–1959 with Charles Mingus’s band. Mingus advanced Parlan’s prospects substantially, both through the recordings they made together and through his broader mentorship. Parlan performed with Booker Ervin in 1960 and 1961, then joined the Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis–Johnny Griffin quintet in 1962. From 1963 to 1966 he appeared regularly with Rahsaan Roland Kirk while also producing a series of strong Blue Note albums across the decade. In 1973 he left the United States for Copenhagen, where several striking SteepleChase releases—most notably a pair of exceptional duet sessions with Archie Shepp—brought him international recognition. He also recorded with Dexter Gordon, Red Mitchell, Frank Foster, and Michal Urbaniak and maintained an active schedule for Enja and Timeless. Parlan died in Denmark in February 2017 at the age of 86.