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Horace Parlan Horace (*1931 in Pittsburgh, PA) was a jazz pianist who was awarded the Ben Webster Prize.   As a child, Horace contracted polio, which left him partially crippled in his right hand. Horace compensated for this handicap by developing his own playing technique, in which the right hand plays distinctly rhythmic phrases, while the left hand counteracts broad chords.   Horace frequently cited Ahmad Jamal and Bud Powell as his primary influences, and a strong connection to blues and R&B is also evident. Horace's style combines the complex harmonic patterns of bebop with the African-American roots of jazz.   During the 1950s, Parlan began playing with various R&B bands, including Clifford Brown. After moving to New York, he joined Charles Mingus' group from 1957 to 1959. This collaboration greatly boosted his career, and Parlan became known to a wider audience through his piano part on the Mingus classics "Mingus Ah Um" and "Blues & Roots." In 1960 and 1961, Parlan played primarily with Booker Ervin, and in 1962 with the Eddie Lockjaw Davis-Johnny Griffin Quintet. From 1963 to 1966, Parlan played with Rahsaan Roland Kirk. In the 1960s, he made several recordings for Blue Note.   In 1973, Horace left the United States and moved to København/Denmark. He attracted international attention with a series of recordings on SteepleChase Records, including a series of duets with tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp, which evoke echoes of gospel music. Further recordings were made with Dexter Gordon, Red Mitchell, and in the 1980s with Frank Foster, Tony Coe (Canterbury Song, 1989), and Michał Urbaniak, and in 1991 with David Murray and Pierre Dørge (The Jazzpar Prize). Parlan recorded albums under his own name for the Enja and Timeless labels.   In 1995, Horace became a Danish citizen. Nearly blind and wheelchair-bound since 2007, he spent his final years in a nursing home in Korsør after being widowed. Horace died in 2017.   from Wikipedia

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