Horace Arnold
Encyclopedia
Horace Emmanuel Arnold, or Horacee Arnold (born September 25, 1937) is an American jazz
drummer. He was born in Wayland, Kentucky
.
Arnold first began drumming in 1957 in Los Angeles
while he held a position in the Coast Guard
. In 1959, he began performing as "Horacee" when he joined a big band
led by Dave Baker
; he also played with Roland Kirk and Charles Mingus
that year. In 1960 he became the drummer in a trio with Cecil McBee
and Kirk Lightsey
.
In the 1960s he worked both in jazz (with Henry Grimes
and Bud Powell
) and in dance (backing Alvin Ailey
on a tour of Asia
). Later in the 1960s, he played with Hugh Masekela
and Miriam Makeba
; following this he studied composition under Heiner Stadler, Hy Gubenick, and Ralph Towner
. In 1967 he founded his own ensemble, The Here and Now Company, in which Sam Rivers
, Karl Berger
, Joe Farrell
, and Robin Kenyatta
all spent time.
In the 1970s Arnold became one of the best-known jazz fusion
drummers, playing with Return to Forever
, Stan Getz
, and Archie Shepp
, in addition to releasing two of his own solo albums. Later in the 1970s he formed a three-percussionist ensemble called Colloquium III with Billy Hart
and Freddie Waits
. In the 1980s Arnold went on to teach at William Paterson College, in addition to working as a session musician
and playing with Dave Friedman.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
drummer. He was born in Wayland, Kentucky
Wayland, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 298 people, 118 households, and 86 families residing in the city. The population density was 430.6 people per square mile . There were 133 housing units at an average density of 192.2 per square mile...
.
Arnold first began drumming in 1957 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
while he held a position in the Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
. In 1959, he began performing as "Horacee" when he joined a big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
led by Dave Baker
Dave Baker
Dave Baker was a defensive back in the NFL, playing for the San Francisco 49ers for three years....
; he also played with Roland Kirk and Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. was an American jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and civil rights activist.Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third stream, free jazz, and classical music...
that year. In 1960 he became the drummer in a trio with Cecil McBee
Cecil McBee
Cecil McBee is an American post bop jazz bassist, described by the Guinness Who's Who of Jazz as "a full-toned bassist who creates rich, singing phrases in a wide range of contemporary jazz contexts." Allmusic called him "One of post-bop's most advanced and versatile bassists".-Biography:McBee...
and Kirk Lightsey
Kirk Lightsey
Kirkland "Kirk" Lightsey is an American jazz pianist.Lightsey had piano instruction from age five and studied piano and clarinet through high school. After service in the Army, Lightsey worked in Detroit and California in the 1960s as an accompanist to singers...
.
In the 1960s he worked both in jazz (with Henry Grimes
Henry Grimes
Henry Grimes is a jazz double bassist, violinist, and poet.After more than a decade of activity and performance, notably as a leading bassist in free jazz, Grimes completely disappeared from the music scene by 1970...
and Bud Powell
Bud Powell
Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell was an American Jazz pianist. Powell has been described as one of "the two most significant pianists of the style of modern jazz that came to be known as bop", the other being his friend and contemporary Thelonious Monk...
) and in dance (backing Alvin Ailey
Alvin Ailey
Alvin Ailey, Jr. was an American choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. Ailey is credited with popularizing modern dance and revolutionizing African-American participation in 20th century concert dance...
on a tour of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
). Later in the 1960s, he played with Hugh Masekela
Hugh Masekela
Hugh Ramopolo Masekela is a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer.-Early life:Masekela was born in Kwa-Guqa Township, Witbank, South Africa. He began singing and playing piano as a child...
and Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba , nicknamed Mama Africa, was a Grammy Award winning South African singer and civil rights activist....
; following this he studied composition under Heiner Stadler, Hy Gubenick, and Ralph Towner
Ralph Towner
Ralph Towner is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion and trumpet.-Biography:...
. In 1967 he founded his own ensemble, The Here and Now Company, in which Sam Rivers
Sam Rivers
Samuel Carthorne Rivers , is an American jazz musician and composer. He performs on soprano and tenor saxophones, bass clarinet, flute, harmonica and piano....
, Karl Berger
Karl Berger
Karl Hanns Berger is a musicologist with a PhD in Music Sociology, jazz composer, jazz vibraphone and piano player.-Biography:...
, Joe Farrell
Joe Farrell
Joseph Carl Firrantello , known as Joe Farrell, was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. He is best known for a series of albums under his own name on the CTI record label and for playing in the initial incarnation of Chick Corea's Return to Forever.-Biography:Farrell was born in Chicago...
, and Robin Kenyatta
Robin Kenyatta
Robin Kenyatta was an American jazz alto saxophonist.-Career:Born Robert Prince Haynes in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, United States, Kenyatta grew up in New York. He played with Bill Dixon there in the 1960s, playing with his project "The October Revolution in Jazz"...
all spent time.
In the 1970s Arnold became one of the best-known jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
drummers, playing with Return to Forever
Return to Forever
Return to Forever is a jazz fusion group founded and led by keyboardist Chick Corea. Through its existence, the band has cycled through a number of different members, with the only consistent band mate of Corea's being bassist Stanley Clarke...
, Stan Getz
Stan Getz
Stanley Getz was an American jazz saxophone player. Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott...
, and Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp is a prominent African-American jazz saxophonist. Shepp is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late 1960s, which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by the African-Americans, as well as for his work with the New York Contemporary Five, Horace Parlan, and...
, in addition to releasing two of his own solo albums. Later in the 1970s he formed a three-percussionist ensemble called Colloquium III with Billy Hart
Billy Hart
William "Billy" Hart is a jazz drummer and educator who has performed with some of the most important jazz musicians in history.-Biography:Early on Hart performed in Washington, D.C...
and Freddie Waits
Freddie Waits
Freddie Douglas Waits was a hard bop and post-bop drummer.He was a member of Max Roach's M'Boom percussion orchestra....
. In the 1980s Arnold went on to teach at William Paterson College, in addition to working as a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
and playing with Dave Friedman.
As leader
- Tribe (Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, 1973) - Tales of the Exonerated Flea (Columbia, 1974)
As sideman
With Billy HarperBilly Harper
Billy Harper is a Jazz saxophonist, "one of a generation of Coltrane-influenced tenor saxophonists" with a distinctively stern, hard-as-nails sound on his instrument.-Biography:...
- Billy Harper Quintet in EuropeBilly Harper Quintet in EuropeBilly Harper Quitet in Europe is an album by American jazz saxophonist Billy Harper recorded in 1979 for the Italian Soul Note label. The album was the first release for the record label.-Reception:...
(Soul Note, 1979)