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(Another in an occasional series on underrated jazz pianists)
Horace
Parlan, who should be
much better known among
contemporary jazz fans,
is not only one of the
finest pianists to
practice that art form,
but also possibly the
most unlikely to enter
the field in the first
place. In his first
year of life, he was
stricken with polio
that partially crippled
his right hand. He
first tried piano
lessons as physical
therapy at age seven,
but it didn't work out.
He tried again at 12
with a new teacher "and
this time he embraced
the challenge." (1)
Horace Parlan was born
in Pittsburgh in 1931
and as noted above,
contracted polio that
same year. As All About
Jazz states it, "Unlike
most musicians, who
study the fundamentals
of their instrument
before seeking out a
distinctive sound and
style, Parlan was
compelled to address
the piano from a unique
direction all along. An
early childhood bout
with polio left his
right hand partially
paralyzed, forcing
Parlan to compensate by
developing a personal
style largely reliant
on the left, not only
for the usual measures
of accompaniment, but
also to weave melodic
phrases and swinging
single-note runs." (2)
As Parlan himself told
The New York Times, his
"approach to the piano
required 'developing a
facility with my right
hand that I worked out
myself…. I was
trying to voice chords
using as few notes as
possible.'" He told
Jazz Times (as quoted
in his Times obituary),
"I had to find a groove
of my own." (3)
As indeed, he did. His
abilities led to his
playing with many true
giants of jazz like
Charles Mingus, Dexter
Gordon, Booker Ervin,
and Rahsaan Roland
Kirk. More important,
he created a huge
enduring body of his
own work.
Like many other jazz
artists, Parlan
expatriated himself to
Europe (in his case,
Denmark) in 1973, where
he remained until his
death in 2017.
Horace Parlan's finest
work can be found on
the many recordings he
made for Blue Note
Records. (The fact that
he frequently recorded
with the premier jazz
label alone is a
testament to his
greatness.) His
performances can be
found on streaming
services such as Apple
Music, Spotify, and
YouTube and most of his
many recordings are
still readily available
for purchase. For a
very good, quick
introduction, listen to
the first two tracks of
the Blue Note
compilation, available
on Apple Music. It
kicks off with the
Ellington classic
"C-Jam Blues." The
first couple of bars
replicate the bouncy
but low-key intro well
known to even casual
listeners. but on the
third go-round, Parlan
suddenly inserts a
discordant chord,
instantly updating
Duke's standard. From
there, the track, while
never losing its
connection to the
original, demonstrates
Parlan's remarkable
dexterity with his left
hand, with which he
both pushes along the
melody and maintains a
compelling irregular
rhythm. Ably assisted
by bassist George
Tucker and drummer Al
Harewood (two other
criminally underrated
artists), the piece
puts Parlan into an
intriguing space
between Bill Evans and
Thelonious Monk,
combining Evans' light
touch and deeply
lyrical quality with
Monk's adventurous
chording and singular
rhythms. I would go so
far as to say Parlan's
trio work with these
fine sidemen rivals
Evans' similar
productions.
The track that follows,
Miles Davis' "On Green
Dolphin Street,"
curiously enough
accomplishes something
similar but in reverse.
Here, Miles's modernist
classic is given a
veneer of Ellingtonian
elegance, the gentle
but propulsive movement
of the melody both
grounded and pushed
along by the virtuoso
rhythm section. The
very well-known and
frequently covered
composition is given a
bare-bones treatment
that reveals its solid
structure and its
profound beauty.
Rarely, outside of Bill
Evans' repertoire, does
one find the trio
configuration so rich
and utilized to its
fullest. One could
hardly do better than
queue up the Blue Note
compilation and savor
each track, marveling
at the rich mixture of
standards, modern jazz
classics, and original
compositions.
I want to offer one
final track to place
Parlan in juxtaposition
with Monk. His version
of "Blue Monk" not only
puts Parlan squarely in
the company of the best
interpreters of Monk,
but reveals his own
distinctive playing
style which holds its
own brilliantly against
Monk's. The video also
allows us to look at
Parlan's damaged right
hand and marvel at his
ability to work with
and around it.
https://youtu.be/G1fiBljTvvs?si=bbHpMhDqk0VlMhIr
Parlan applies a more
delicate touch to
Monk's irregular
rhythms and angular
melodies, while still
presenting the
composition fully and
clearly. As with
Ellington and Davis,
this stripped down
approach not only
reveals the beauty of
Monk's piece, proving
that he was not merely
an eccentric figure,
but also is a fine
demonstration of Horace
Parlan's mastery of his
instrument and idiom.
Notes
(1) (3) New York Times Obituary
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/01/arts/music/horace-parlan-jazz-pianist-dies-at-86.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
(2)https://www.allaboutjazz.com/horace-parlan-by-aaj-staff
The Blue Note Records
page for Parlan is also
an excellent source of
information.
And a short
documentary, "Horace
Parlan by Horace
Parlan" is viewable on
YouTube.
https://youtu.be/VheygQOEWHg?si=q1-Qk_3UZ5Vb4AR4
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