Horace Elva Tapscott (April 6, 1934 – February 27, 1999) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist and composer. He formed the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra (also known as P.A.P.A., or The Ark) in 1961 and led the ensemble through the 1990s.

Early life

Tapscott was born in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, and moved to Los Angeles, California, at the age of nine. By this time he had begun to study piano and trombone. He played with

Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous soun ...

Don Cherry Donald Stewart Cherry (born February 5, 1934) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator. Cherry played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, and later coached the team for five se ...

, and

Billy Higgins Billy Higgins (October 11, 1936 – May 3, 2001) was an American jazz drummer. He played mainly free jazz and hard bop. Biography Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, be ...

as a teenager.

Later life and career

After service in the

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

in Wyoming, he returned to Los Angeles and played trombone with various bands, notably

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles M ...

(1959–61). Soon after, though, he quit playing trombone and focused on piano. In 1961 Tapscott formed the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, with the aim of preserving, developing and performing African-American music. As his vision grew, this became just one part of a larger organization in 1963, the Underground Musicians Association (UGMA), which later changed name to the

Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension The Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension (UGMAA) was a collective of African American jazz musicians formed by Horace Tapscott in the late 1960s. It was part of his work with the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra (PAPA), founded in 1961, which ...

(UGMAA).

Arthur Blythe Arthur Murray Blythe (May 7, 1940 – March 27, 2017) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer. He was described by critic Chris Kelsey as displaying "one of the most easily recognizable alto sax sounds in jazz, big and round, with a f ...

Stanley Crouch Stanley Lawrence Crouch (December 14, 1945 – September 16, 2020) was an American poet, music and cultural critic, syndicated columnist, novelist, and biographer. He was known for his jazz criticism and his 2000 novel ''Don't the Moon Look ...

, Butch Morris,

Wilber Morris Wilber Morris (November 27, 1937 - August 8, 2002) was an American jazz double bass player and bandleader. He was the brother of the cornetist, composer, and conductor Butch Morris.Allmusic/ref> Wilber Morris recorded widely, and performed with ...

, David Murray,

Jimmy Woods Jimmy Woods (born October 29, 1934, in St. Louis, Missouri; died March 29, 2018, in Anchorage, Alaska) was an American jazz alto saxophonist. Woods played with the R&B band of Homer Carter in 1951, and served in the Air Force from 1952 to 1956 ...

, Nate Morgan and

Guido Sinclair Sinclair Greenwell Jr. (December 1935 - July 7, 1992) was an American jazz alto saxophonist. He was also known as Guido Sinclair, Sonny Harrison, and Junnie. He performed in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Biography Sinc ...

all performed in Tapscott's Arkestra at one time or another. Tapscott and his work are the subjects of the

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

Horace Tapscott Jazz Collection. Enthusiasts of his music formed two labels in the 1970s and 1980s, Interplay and Nimbus, for which he recorded.

Discography

As leader

*''

The Giant Is Awakened ''The Giant is Awakened'' is the debut album by American jazz pianist/composer Horace Tapscott recorded in 1969 and released on the Flying Dutchman label.

'' (

Flying Dutchman The ''Flying Dutchman'' ( nl, De Vliegende Hollander) is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the seven seas forever. The myth is likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the Du ...

, 1969) - as Horace Tapscott Quintet *''

Songs of the Unsung ''Songs of the Unsung'' is a solo album by American jazz pianist/composer Horace Tapscott recorded in 1978 and released on the Interplay label.

'' ( Interplay, 1978) *'' In New York'' (Interplay, 1979) *''Lighthouse 79, Vol. 1'' (Nimbus West, 1979

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*''Lighthouse 79, Vol. 2'' (Nimbus West, 1979

*''At the Crossroads'' (with Everett Brown, Jr.) (Nimbus West, 1980) *''Dial 'B' for Barbra'' (Nimbus West, 1981) - as Horace Tapscott Sextet *''Live At Lobero'' (with Roberto Miranda and Sonship) (Nimbus West, 1981) *''Live At Lobero, Vol. II'' (with Roberto Miranda and Sonship) (Nimbus West, 1981) *''Little Africa'' (piano solo) (Art Union, 1983) *''

Dissent or Descent ''Dissent or Descent'' is an album by American jazz pianist/composer Horace Tapscott recorded in 1984 but not released on the Nimbus West label until 1998.998 Year 998 ( CMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Otto III retakes Rome and restores power in the papal city. Crescenti ...

*''Autumn Colors'' (Bopland, 1984; reissue: Interplay, 1990) *''

The Dark Tree ''The Dark Tree'' is a live album by pianist Horace Tapscott recorded in 1989 and released on the Hat ART label as two separate volumes in 1991.

'' ( HatArt, 1991) - originally released as two separate volumes and re-released as a 2-CD set *''Horace Tapscott's Arkestra Live in Chicago'' (1993) *''Among Friends'' (with

Sonny Simmons Huey "Sonny" Simmons (August 4, 1933 – April 6, 2021) was an American jazz musician. Biography Simmons was born on August 4, 1933 in Sicily Island, Louisiana. He grew up in Oakland, California, where he began playing the English horn. (Along w ...

) (Jazz Friends Productions, 1995

999 999 or triple nine most often refers to: * 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries * 999 (number), an integer * AD 999, a year * 999 BC, a year Books * ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: T ...

*''

Aiee! The Phantom ''Aiee! The Phantom'' is an album by American jazz pianist/composer Horace Tapscott recorded in 1995 and released on the Arabesque label.Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...

, 1996) *''

Thoughts of Dar es Salaam ''Thoughts of Dar es Salaam'' is an album by the American jazz pianist/composer Horace Tapscott, recorded in 1996 and released on the Arabesque label.Lou Blackburn Lou Blackburn (November 12, 1922 – 7 June 1990) was an American jazz trombonist. Biography Blackburn was born in Rankin, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his work in the swing genre but he also performed in the West Coast jazz and so ...

*''Jazz Frontier'' (

Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...

, 1963) *''Two Note Samba'' (Imperial, 1963) **Both titles compiled on '' The Complete Imperial Sessions'' (

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical co ...

, 2006) With Roberto Miranda's Home Music Ensemble *''Live at Bing Theatre - Los Angeles, 1985'' (Dark Tree, 2021)

As composer and arranger

With

Sonny Criss William "Sonny" Criss (23 October 1927 – 19 November 1977) was an American jazz musician. An alto saxophonist of prominence during the bebop era of jazz, he was one of many players influenced by Charlie Parker. Biography William Criss wa ...

*''

Sonny's Dream (Birth of the New Cool) ''Sonny's Dream (Birth of the New Cool)'' is an album by saxophonist Sonny Criss recorded in 1968 and released on the Prestige label.Prestige Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.) Prestige may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films * ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...

, 1968) *''

Crisscraft ''Crisscraft'' is a 1975 album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Criss, originally released on the Muse Records, Muse label, and later reissued on 32 Jazz.Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

, 1975) - composer only

References

Bibliography

* Dailey, Raleigh. "The Dark Tree: Jazz and the Community Arts in Los Angeles" (review). ''Notes'' Volume 63, Number 3, March 2007, pp. 632–634. * Isoardi, Steven L. ''The Dark Tree: Jazz and the Community Arts in Los Angeles.'' April 2006. 394p. illus. index. University of California, $34.95 (0-520-24591-1). * Isoardi, Steven L. ''Songs of the Unsung: The Musical and Social Journey of Horace Tapscott.'' Duke University Press, 2001. * Isoardi, Steven L. ''The Music Finds a Way: A PAPA/UGMAA Oral History of Growing Up In Postwar South Central Los Angeles.'' Dark Tree, 2020.

External links

*
Horace Tapscott
at

Posi-Tone Records Posi-Tone Records is an American jazz record label founded by Marc Free, a producer and musician who runs the company with engineer Nick O'Toole. The label's first five albums were issued in 1995. The roster includes trombonist Steve Davis, saxop ...

Horace Tapscott
"A Fireside Chat With Horace Tapscott", with Fred Jung in ''Jazz Weekly''
Horace Tapscott
"Listening In: An Interview with Horace Tapscott", with Bob Rosenbaum, Los Angeles, October 1982
Horace Tapscott
Interview, Center for Oral History Research, UCLA {{DEFAULTSORT:Tapscott, Horace Experimental big band musicians Post-bop pianists African-American pianists American jazz pianists American male pianists 1934 births 1999 deaths Place of death missing Musicians from Houston Arabesque Records artists Avant-garde jazz pianists 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Texas 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians 20th-century African-American musicians