Horace Parlan?

[Chrome]

I was spinning "Happy Frame of Mind" last night and it got me wondering ... does anyone know what Horace Parlan is up to nowadays?

[brownie]

I read sad news about him recently - cannot remember where - that his diabete condition has worsened and he is going blind. Believe he still is in Denmark but cannot travel much anymore.

[Chrome]

Thanks, Brownie.

[Hardbopjazz]

  brownie said:

I read sad news about him recently - cannot remember where - that his diabete condition has worsened and he is going blind. Believe he still is in Denmark but cannot travel much anymore.

Wow, all the greats are ebbing near the other world. Sad to hear that about Parlan.

Edited April 30, 2004 by Hardbopjazz

[alankin]

Sad to hear. I just happened to spin a few of his SteepleChase releases recently -- some nice listening there...

[sidewinder]

  alankin said:

Sad to hear. I just happened to spin a few of his SteepleChase releases recently -- some nice listening there...

Any particular recommendations from the Parlan Steeplechases?

[Dan Gould]

Glad I Found You has Thad Jones and Eddie Harris and is highly recommended.

[sidewinder]

  Dan Gould said:

Glad I Found You has Thad Jones and Eddie Harris and is highly recommended.

Thanks ! I think I know where to get hold of a copy of that one.. B)

[B. Goren.]

  sidewinder said:

  alankin said:

Sad to hear.  I just happened to spin a few of his SteepleChase releases recently -- some nice listening there...

Any particular recommendations from the Parlan Steeplechases?

Blue Parlan in my favorite on SteepleChase. Also No Blues is great and if you like his solo playing, listen to Alone.

[sidewinder]

Thanks B-) - I'll have a search for those.

[Claude]

Here's an Allaboutjazz article on Horace Parlan, from october last year:

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=670

[Shrdlu]

  Dan Gould said:

Glad I Found You has Thad Jones and Eddie Harris and is highly recommended.

That is a fine lineup! You don't hear much about Eddie Harris anymore, but he was fabulous. (Dig his "Tale of Two Cities" album, which I would never have known about if Chuck Niles had not featured it on KLON in L.A.) And Thad, too.

I have loved Horace for years, and it is sad to hear that he is in a bad way.

A few years ago, they showed a TV broadcast of him with Diz - I think 3Sat was the channel. Cliff Jordan was on tenor. They did a fine, long version of "Round Midnight" in which the piano solo was absolutely riveting. They had an upright with the covers removed, and Diz was leaning over the bass end, seemingly hypnotized. Quite a moment.

Horace has an especially good solo on "Trees" on Kirk's "I Talk With The Spirits" album. Check that one out if you're a Parlan fan.

[Lazaro Vega]

There's a new one on Steeplechase, recorded at Horace Parlan's house (2002/3?) by the bassist Jesper Lundgaard and including Ed Thigpen on drums, called "Relaxin' With Horace" which is lovely, especially the version of "Theme For Ernie."

[Dan Gould]

  Lazaro Vega said:

There's a new one on Steeplechase, recorded at Horace Parlan's house (2002/3?) by the bassist Jesper Lundgaard and including Ed Thigpen on drums, called "Relaxin' With Horace" which is lovely, especially the version of "Theme For Ernie."

Lazaro,

I got this for my birthday but haven't had a chance to listen yet. I think though that it actually has a recording date of December 2004, so maybe Horace isn't doing quite so badly, the fact that they recorded at his home notwithstanding.

[doubleM]

December 2004? Wow, that is current! B-)

[Peter F]

I just was listening to the brand new CD on the Stunt label by The Horace Parlan Trio.

It's called "Relaxin' With Horace" and has Jesper Lundgaard on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums.

All of Horace Parlan's Steeplechase CDs are well worth getting. Horace is a much underrated player.

His playing is very accessible and can fool the listener into thinking that he lacks depth. However, careful listening will disclose wonderful harmonic, rhythmic and melodic aspects to his playing.

Peter F

[Jim R]

  Peter F said:

I just was listening to the brand new CD on the Stunt label by The Horace Parlan Trio. It's called "Relaxin' With Horace"

Is there an echo in here? So, it's on Stunt, and not Steeplechase? Sounds like one to get, at any rate.

One of my most recent Parlan purchases was the 2 CD set on Steeplechase, titled ALONE, which brings together two solo albums- THE MAESTRO and MUSICALLY YOURS:

The Maestro

1 Ruby My Dear (Monk, Thelonious) 5,35

2 Spring Is Here (Rodgers, Richard) 6,28

3 A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing (Strayhorn, Billy) 5,55

4 Peace (Silver, Horace) 5,10

5 The Maestro (Walton, Cedar) 8,15

6 Nardis (Evans, Bill) 5,10

7 Alone Together (Dietz/Schwartz) 6,15

8 Ill Wind (Arlen, Harry) 6,40

Musically Yours

1 Alone Together (Dietz/Schwartz) 6,10

2 Memories Of You (Blake, Eubie) 6,13

3 Musically Yours (Parlan, Horace) 5,35

4 Ill Wind (Arlen, Harry) 7,03

5 Lullaby Of The Leaves (Petkere) 5,20

6 Ruby My Dear (Monk, Thelonious) 5,43

7 Jitterbug Waltz (Waller, Fats) 6,25

8 Nardis (Evans, Bill) 5,45

Highly recommended.

[Dan Gould]

  doubleM said:

December 2004? Wow, that is current! B-)

D'OH!

But it is December 2003, so while Horace may not get out much, he surely can still play.

[Jim R]

Reminds me of the George Shearing trio CD I recently bought ("Like Fine Wine") that says it was recorded on "October 27th and 28th, 2004."

[Lazaro Vega]

Jim R,

Yes, Stunt, not Steeplechase. Sorry. It is at work (the radio station) and I'm sometimes writing from home with ankle biters all around. It sounds like a monkey house in here.

LV