Us Horace Parlan

Real Gone Jazz reissued seven classic albums from the early '60s by hard bop pianist Horace Parlan, Movin' and Groovin', Us Three, Speakin' My Piece, Headin' South, On the Spur of the Moment, Up and Down, and Doin' Alright (with Dexter Gordon). Even though this set does not contain any bonus tracks, this isn't a bad way to pick up these sessions if you don't already own them.

On this recording made in 1960 during his tenure with Lou Donaldson, pianist Horace Parlan is situated nicely alongside bassist George Tucker and drummer Al Harewood. The trio had its own gig on Sundays at Minton's in Harlem, and had established a repertoire and reputation for being able to lay down both hard bop and soul-jazz stylings with equal verve. (And yeah, that jazz/hip-hop group from the 1990s was named after this disc.) The proceedings here are straight-ahead with some cool soul-jazz touches. Parlan's "Wadin'" moves the off-minor key of "Wade in the Water" and funkifies the rhythm, paraphrasing and improvising as the rhythm section struts it out…

Recorded at Focus Studio, Copenhagen, June 18 & 19, 1997. The trio are: Mads Vinding (Bass), Ed Thigpen (Drums), Horace Parlan (Piano).
Horace Parlan overcame physical disability and thrived as a pianist despite it. His right hand was partially disabled by polio in his childhood, but Parlan made frenetic, highly rhythmic right-hand phrases part of his characteristic style, contrasting them with striking left-hand chords. He also infused blues and R&B influences into his style, playing in a stark, sometimes somber fashion. Parlan 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…

Among the most revered and in-demand pianists of the post-bop era, Horace Parlan remains one of the most well represented jazz musicians of the 1950s and 1960s, having produced both an extraordinary array of albums as leader, and concurrently contributed to a quite staggering selection of highly regarded albums by other premier jazz musicians. This 4CD boxset collates all of Horace Parlan's solo-albums from the 1960s, on which he performed as leader, alongside his finest contribution to a fellow musician's record. A pioneer who adapted his disability into a distinctive style, Parlan remains one of the finest jazz-men of the age, and this superb collection of his best work serves as both a dynamic reminder of his prowess, and as a fully-formed starting point for any inquisitive beginner.

Horace Parlan & Joe Van Enkhuizen - Joe Meets The Rhythm Section (1986) {2015 Japan Timeless Jazz Master Collection Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 245 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 94 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 235 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2015 Timeless Records / Solid Records Japan / Ultra-Vibe | CDSOL-6339
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano / Saxophone

Reissue with the latest remastering. Features original cover artwork. Comes with a descripton in Japanese. The "Joe" here is Dutch tenorist Joe Van Enkhuizen, who's a great fit with a trio that features Horace Parlan on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Al Harewood on drums! The album's got that subtle approach that marks Parlan's later years – a less all-out style than his start on Blue Note, but one that's maybe even more rewarding if you're willing to let yourself slide into it – something that's easy to do when you've got Joe pointing the way with his well-blown, raspy-edged tenor! Reid is mighty nice too – with those instantly-deep notes that always grab us strongly when he's recorded this well – the sort of presence that most other bassists would need to be electric to reach. Titles include "Alfie's Theme", "Bluesville", "FSR", "Wadin", and "Willow Weep For Me".

With Mosaic Records expanding its horizons over the past few years, fans of many different styles have had the opportunity to expand their collections and recent Mosaic honorees have included Mildred Bailey, Eddie Condon, Bobby Hackett, Chico Hamilton, and Anita O’Day. But to those long time followers, it continues to be the hard bop verities of the Blue Note label that have often been synonymous with Mosaic’s mail order dynasty. ~ AllAboutJazz