Pianist Horace Parlan: "Happy Frame of Mind"

Horace Parlan was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and came to prominence with the 1958/59 edition of the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop. after leaving Mingus he recorded prolifically as a sideman and signed a contract with Blue Note Records. His albums did well and he was a busy pianist. He developed a unique style of playing because of a handicap brought on by childhood polio which paralysed two fingers on his right hand. His albums for Blue Note sold well and yet this fine session was never issued until 1986 even though it was recorded in 1963. It was given a catalogue number and advertised but never issued at the time and this is the reason it is being spotlighted as part of our unissued Jazz Features this month. The music is superb and features a great band with Parlan leading on piano, Johnny Coles on trumpet, Booker Ervin on tenor saxophone, Grant Green on guitar, Edward "Butch" Warren on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. 6 original tunes are played by Parlan who wrote 2, Ervin who did 1 as did Johnny Coles and 1 by pianist Randy Weston. The intriguing opener called "Home is Africa" was penned by Sun Ra bassist Ronnie Boykins. The album is called "Happy Frame of Mind" and it's tonight's Jazz Feature.