I know their recordings. Mr. Parlan, the renowned pianist, primarily played the piano using seven fingers. Due to polio during his childhood, Parlan had limited use of his right hand, specifically only two fingers (his thumb and index finger). Despite this, he developed a distinctive and innovative style by compensating with his left hand, which became remarkably strong and versatile.
As a student of piano I am in awe of Mr. Parlan's achievement. I have all ten fingers and I'm barely able to master simple chord structures. I wish I had opened my music study (I was in the third grade) with piano but I went with trumpet. My mother forbade my true love, drums. She wasn't a good mom. But at age eight I knew about Louie Armstrong and that guided me toward trumpet. I finally got to drums when I was thirteen and could buy some gear with Bar Mitzvah money.
I remember the excitement that Impulse Records brought to me in my adolescence. From @1960 onward I was captivated: I bought every release from a certain class of musicians. "Four For Trane" knocked my socks off. As did "Fire Music" and many others. Joe Chambers caught fire in 5/4 time on the drums. What a time that was! Then, seeing Trane and Shepp live at the Downbeat Jazz Festival in Chicago. Archie Shepp was and is just brilliant! Man, your articles are such pure pleasure, Bret.
Wow, you saw Trane and Archie at the Downbeat Jazz Festival. That is truly a historic event. Coltrane was around when I was an early teen, and of course I knew about him, but I was just getting into jazz. I didn't really "hear" Trane, until after he passed. One night in 1969, after dropping some psilocybin, someone put on A Love Supreme. After that I never looked back. I've been a serious Coltrane fan since. I got to know Archie in the 70s, interviewed him for Down Beat, and then again in the 90s, another interview for Jazz Times. And then twenty years later, with Willard Jenkins, we did an online interview, which you see hear. I've always dug his playing, during his different periods. And of course Archie is.a very intelligent fellow and I really enjoying hanging with him.
Historic indeed. My friend and I had ingested some mescaline before the Downbeat appearance of Coltrane and Shepp. By this time Coltrane's sound had become a passionate wail. I loved every second of it! Much of the audience was rather stunned. I find it impossible to forget. I was literally transported to some other dimension. What absolute musical courage it took for Coltrane to go down that path!
You must hear the Archie Shepp/Horace Parlan sides. Oh! Who would have expected that?
I know their recordings. Mr. Parlan, the renowned pianist, primarily played the piano using seven fingers. Due to polio during his childhood, Parlan had limited use of his right hand, specifically only two fingers (his thumb and index finger). Despite this, he developed a distinctive and innovative style by compensating with his left hand, which became remarkably strong and versatile.
As a student of piano I am in awe of Mr. Parlan's achievement. I have all ten fingers and I'm barely able to master simple chord structures. I wish I had opened my music study (I was in the third grade) with piano but I went with trumpet. My mother forbade my true love, drums. She wasn't a good mom. But at age eight I knew about Louie Armstrong and that guided me toward trumpet. I finally got to drums when I was thirteen and could buy some gear with Bar Mitzvah money.
I remember the excitement that Impulse Records brought to me in my adolescence. From @1960 onward I was captivated: I bought every release from a certain class of musicians. "Four For Trane" knocked my socks off. As did "Fire Music" and many others. Joe Chambers caught fire in 5/4 time on the drums. What a time that was! Then, seeing Trane and Shepp live at the Downbeat Jazz Festival in Chicago. Archie Shepp was and is just brilliant! Man, your articles are such pure pleasure, Bret.
Wow, you saw Trane and Archie at the Downbeat Jazz Festival. That is truly a historic event. Coltrane was around when I was an early teen, and of course I knew about him, but I was just getting into jazz. I didn't really "hear" Trane, until after he passed. One night in 1969, after dropping some psilocybin, someone put on A Love Supreme. After that I never looked back. I've been a serious Coltrane fan since. I got to know Archie in the 70s, interviewed him for Down Beat, and then again in the 90s, another interview for Jazz Times. And then twenty years later, with Willard Jenkins, we did an online interview, which you see hear. I've always dug his playing, during his different periods. And of course Archie is.a very intelligent fellow and I really enjoying hanging with him.
Historic indeed. My friend and I had ingested some mescaline before the Downbeat appearance of Coltrane and Shepp. By this time Coltrane's sound had become a passionate wail. I loved every second of it! Much of the audience was rather stunned. I find it impossible to forget. I was literally transported to some other dimension. What absolute musical courage it took for Coltrane to go down that path!
Absolutely wonderful. Thank you!
Thank you! Archie is a brave, outspoken cat.