Jazz / Hard Bop
Horace Parlan - Piano
Al Harewood - Drums
Elvin Campbell Engineer
Frank Foster Sax (Tenor)
Frank Srozier Sax (Alto)
Frank Strozier Sax (Alto)
Lisle Atkinson Bass
Lyle Atkinson Bass
Mark Gardner Liner Notes
Nils Winther Photography, Producer
This 1977 session in the United States marked a rare return to his native land for pianist Horace Parlan, where he reunited with old friends and made his first recording with another veteran. Featuring alto saxophonist Frank Strozier, bassist Lisle Atkinson, drummer Al Harewood, and ex-Basie tenor saxophonist Frank Foster (working with Parlan for the first time), the band benefited from playing a one-nighter and holding an afternoon rehearsal rather than going into the studio cold. Most of the selections played on this date were composed by fellow expatriates, including Thad Jones, Idrees Sulieman, and Duke Jordan, along with Parlan's buoyant hard bop vehicle "Frank-ly Speaking." The sauntering rendition of Jones' "Quietude," Atkinson's intricate "Hit It," and an extended workout of Sulieman's "Chocolate Cadillac" are also among the session's highlights, while the playing is inspired throughout the date by everyone involved. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
Horace Parlan
Active Decades: '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: Jan 19, 1931 in Pittsburgh, PA
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Post-Bop, Hard Bop
Horace Parlan has overcome physical disability and thrived as a pianist despite it. His right hand was partially crippled by polio in his childhood, but Parlan's made frenetic, highly rhythmic right hand phrases part of his characteristic style, contrasting them with striking left-hand chords. He's also infused blues and R&B influences into his style, playing in a stark, sometimes somber fashion. Parlan has always cited Ahmad Jamal and Bud Powell as prime influences. He began playing in R&B bands during the '50s, joining Charles Mingus' group from 1957 to 1959 following a move from Pittsburgh to New York. Mingus aided his career enormously, both through his recordings and his influence. Parlan played with Booker Ervin in 1960 and 1961, then in the Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis-Johnny Griffin quintet in 1962. Parlan played with Rahsaan Roland Kirk from 1963 to 1966, and had a strong series of Blue Note recordings in the '60s. He left America for Copenhagen in 1973, and gained international recognition for some stunning albums on Steeplechase, including a pair of superb duet sessions with Archie Shepp. He also recorded with Dexter Gordon, Red Mitchell, and in the '80s Frank Foster and Michal Urbaniak. He also has recorded extensively for SteepleChase, Enja, and Timeless.
---Ron Wynn, All Music Guide |
