Horacee Arnold

Biography

Horace Emmanuel Arnold, known professionally as Horacee Arnold, was born on September 25, 1937, in Wayland, Kentucky. He began playing drums in 1957 while stationed in Los Angeles during his service in the United States Coast Guard. After his discharge in 1959, he performed under the name 'Horacee' with David Baker's big band and worked with Roland Kirk and Charles Mingus. Throughout the 1960s, Arnold collaborated with jazz luminaries such as Hasaan Ibn Ali, Henry Grimes, the Bud Powell Trio at Birdland, and toured Asia with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company, where exposure to non-Western music profoundly shaped his rhythmic and timbral concepts. He also played with Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba, studied composition with Heiner Stadler and Hy Gubenick, and classical guitar with Ralph Towner, while founding the Here and Now Company ensemble featuring Sam Rivers, Karl Berger, Joe Farrell, and Robin Kenyatta.[1][2][3][4]

In the 1970s, Arnold emerged as a prominent jazz fusion drummer, recording with Chick Corea on albums like 'Is' (1969) and 'Sundance' (1972), and performing with Return to Forever, Stan Getz, Archie Shepp, and Billy Harper. He released his debut solo album 'Tribe' (Columbia, 1973), produced by John Hammond, blending fusion with acoustic elements including woodwinds, mallet percussion, and acoustic guitar. Later that decade, he formed Colloquium III with Billy Hart and Freddie Waits. His style fused avant-garde influences from Sunny Murray and Milford Graves with modern approaches of Tony Williams and Elvin Jones, creating a unique, expansive sound.[1][2][3]

In the 1980s, Arnold taught at William Paterson College, worked as a session musician with Kenny Burrell, and formed a trio with David Friedman and Anthony Cox. His career bridged mainstream jazz, free jazz, and jazz fusion, leaving a legacy as a versatile drummer and educator whose work emphasized rhythmic innovation and cultural synthesis.[1][2][3]

Fun Facts

• Arnold added an extra 'e' to his name (Horacee, with the second 'e' silent) when he began performing professionally in 1959.
• A 1962 tour of Asia with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company, especially in Burma and Korea, deeply influenced his musical concepts with new timbres and rhythms.
• Columbia Records producer John Hammond signed Arnold after hearing tapes from a Montreal gig, leading to his 1973 debut album 'Tribe'.
• Arnold formed the grant-funded Here and Now Company in 1967 to bring avant-garde jazz to schools and community centers rather than nightclubs.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Max Roach - Technical and conceptual mentor who shared private drum techniques and encouraged move to New York (Private lessons in 1960) [1960]
• Ralph Towner - Classical guitar teacher (Private studies) [late 1960s]
• Heiner Stadler - Composition teacher (Studies) [late 1960s]
• Hy Gubenick - Composition teacher (Studies) [late 1960s]

Key Collaborators

• David Baker - Big band leader (Big band performances) [1959]
• Roland Kirk - Early performances (Live gigs) [1959]
• Charles Mingus - Early jazz collaborations (Live performances) [1959-1960s]
• Cecil McBee - Trio member (Trio with Kirk Lightsey) [1960]
• Kirk Lightsey - Trio member (Trio with Cecil McBee) [1960]
• Chick Corea - Fusion recordings ('Is' (1969), 'Sundance' (1972)) [1969]
• Billy Harper - Fusion bandmate on solo album ('Tribe' (1973)) [1970s]
• Joe Farrell - Here and Now Company and 'Tribe' (Here and Now Company, 'Tribe' (1973)) [1967, 1973]
• Sam Rivers - Here and Now Company founder member (Here and Now Company) [1967]
• Billy Hart - Colloquium III co-founder (Colloquium III) [late 1970s]
• Freddie Waits - Colloquium III co-founder (Colloquium III) [late 1970s]
• David Friedman - Trio member and 'Tribe' collaborator ('Tribe' (1973), trio) [1973, 1980s]
• Ralph Towner - 'Tribe' guitarist and guitar teacher ('Tribe' (1973)) [late 1960s, 1973]

Artists Influenced

• Vinnie Sperrazza - Student at William Paterson College who studied drums under Arnold (Personal studies) [early 2000s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia