Jazz Articles about Aaron Parks

About Aaron Parks

Album Review

The press release for highly praised keyboard/composer Aaron Parks's (Kurt Rosenwinke, Terence Blanchard) latest album states: “after experimenting with various lineups and sessions, Parks landed on three musicians ideally suited for this atmospheric, genre-bending new work." And after listening to this inspiring session it's easy to discern why Parks needed time and a bit of prudence to fulfil his personalized mission of original genre-hopping compositions, that gel to a synergistic group-focused vibe. Here, it seems that the artist has reached ...

Album Review

Aaron Parks: Little Big

Read "Little Big" reviewed by Friedrich Kunzmann

by Friedrich Kunzmann
October 21, 2018

After an absence from activity as a leader, pianist and composer, Aaron Parks reemerged in 2017 with a new trio formation, releasing the highly acclaimed Find The Way (ECM), which carried on the unique harmonic language found four years prior, on the solo Arborescence (ECM, 2013). Today's Little Big, however, comes much more in the vein of his major label debut, Invisible Cinema (Blue Note 2008). The modern approach of an electric band, slower harmonic progressions and more immediate melodic ...

Interview

Aaron Parks: Rising To The Challenge

by R.J. DeLuke
June 21, 2017

"I'm always trying to put myself into scenarios with people who play in a way that challenges me and gives me a chance to grow," says pianist Aaron Parks, who has carved an impressive career in jazz since going to New York City early in the new century and eventually garnering a major gig with trumpeter Terence Blanchard's band. The group's he's played in are nothing but challenging, as he serves music made by people like Kurt Rosenwinkel ...

Album Review

Aaron Parks/Ben Street/Billy Hart: Find the Way

Read "Find the Way" reviewed by Karl Ackermann

by Karl Ackermann
May 26, 2017

Find the Way is pianist Aaron Parks' eighth release as a leader and second on the ECM label. The prolific artist has appeared as a sideman on thirty-eight albums dating back to 2003, working frequently with Terence Blanchard, recording with Joshua Redman and Kurt Rosenwinkel and many other top names in jazz. At the age of fourteen, Parks was studying music and computer science at the University of Washington and has gone on to win multiple awards including sharing a ...

Album Review

Thomas Maintz, Aaron Parks: Duets in June

Read "Duets in June" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
July 18, 2016

L'ascolto di quest'album porta alla memoria la collaborazione tra Bill Evans e Jim Hall che produsse nel 1962 il magistrale Undercurrent e quattro anni dopo Intermodulation. Da allora è trascorso mezzo secolo, Thomas Maintz e Aaron Parks hanno distinte personalità ed escludendo la formula strumentale, non ci sono somiglianze stilistiche, né di repertorio: gli unici aspetti che sollecitano l'associazione riguardano la purezza espressiva, l'intensità dell'interplay, la sottigliezza cameristica dei percorsi e il lirismo che pervade tutti i brani. ...

Live Review

Aaron Parks Group and Joel Ross at the SOUTH Jazz Kitchen

by Asher Wolf
May 9, 2016

Aaron Parks Group SOUTH Jazz Kitchen Philadelphia, PA May 4, 2016 I apologize in advance if the following descriptions come off as grandiose. But regarding the Aaron Parks Group, anything that doesn't walk the line of hyperbole feels like an undersell. They were one of the most exciting acts I've had the pleasure of witnessing, and I don't mean interesting or hope inspiring, but rather the type of excitement you feel after injecting ...

Live Review

Aaron Parks Trio al Teatro Manzoni, Milano

by Paolo Peviani
February 12, 2014

Aperitivo in concerto Teatro Manzoni 10.11.2013 Da Paul Bley a Keith Jarrett, passando attraverso Misha Alperin e Bobo Stenson, fino ai nostri Stefano Battaglia e Stefano Bollani... Non c'è dubbio che Manfred Eicher, deus ex machina della casa discografica ECM, abbia buon fiuto per i pianisti. L'ultimo arrivato nella scuderia dell'etichetta bavarese è Aaron Parks, pianista di Seattle con all'attivo collaborazioni importanti (Terence Blanchard, Joshua Redman), un debutto discografico da ...