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.
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With Billy Harper