Blame it on Bertrand Tavenier’s ‘Round Midnight or any other mythologizing
bit of media: Expatriate jazz musicians still enjoy a healthy amount
of manufactured mystique. Pianist Horace Parlan is among this celebrated
cadre and has been for years.
A resident of Denmark for decades, he’s
quietly been composing and performing music in local clubs to
adulatory audiences in a style that strays little from his work as leader and
first call sideman in the 1950s and 60s. Recorded in the intimate company
of altoist Christina von B?low and bassist Jesper Lundgaard in Parlan’s home,
the program is tilted heavily toward standards. A pair of Parlan originals
slips right in beside familiar pieces by Strayhorn and Miles among others.
Parlan’s approach is measured, more low flame simmer than blow torch
bluster and complementary to the domestic surroundings. The absence of
drums also aids in this regard, enhancing the chamber jazz elements of
the instrumentation and giving von B?low a springy, but uncluttered
surface
with which to etch her watercolor melodic lines. She rarely
deviates
too drastically from the themes, phrasing in a light aerated
caresses
that suggests an amalgam of Benny Carter and Bird.
Parlan’s fingers work in careful collusion and at times his patterns feel a
shade too premeditated. Lundgaard anchors the bottom, amiable to
the occasional solo slot, but seemingly just as happy to amble along beside
his colleagues. Highlights of the set include an eloquent rendering of
“Everything Happens to Me”, where the playfully pessimistic lyrics are
virtually sung via von B?low’s choruses, and a lengthy concluding stroll
through Strayhorn’s beatific ballad “Lotus Blossom”. Parlan’s long since progressed past the point of proving himself. That palpable self-awareness
and confidence makes for a performance refreshingly free of ego or agenda. These three are simply playing for the pure joy of it and that admirable,
angst free incentive channels beautifully into the music. It also effectively
dispels the aura ex-pat mystique surrounding Parlan’s person and reveals
a man at peace with himself and his profession.
Recorded at Parlan’s home in Rude, Denmark on March 28,29 & May 22, 2007.
Contents
Little Esther - 6:30
My Little Brown Book - 9:30
Party Time - 7:44
Things We Did Last Summer - 8:27
Quietude - 6:29
Everything Happens to Me - 6:37
Fran Dance - 7:42
Lotus Blossom - 10:04
Musicians
Horace Parlan - piano
Christina von Bulow - Alto Saxophone
Jesper Lundgaard - bass
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