Aaron Parks

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Aaron Parks
Aaron-parks.jpg
Aaron Parks plays a duo concert with Adam Baldych in Aarhus, Denmark, in 2014.
Background information
Born (1983-10-07) October 7, 1983 (age 41)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentPiano
Years active2001–present
Labels Blue Note, Nonesuch, ECM, Ropeadope
Website aaronparks.com

Aaron Parks (born October 7, 1983) is an American jazz pianist.

Contents

Career

A native of Seattle, Parks studied at the University of Washington at the age of 14 [1] through the Transition School and Early Entrance Program as a double major in computer science and music. At 15, he was selected to participate in the Grammy High School Jazz Ensembles which inspired him to move to New York City and transfer to the Manhattan School of Music. At Manhattan one of his teachers was Kenny Barron. [1] During his final year, he began touring with Terence Blanchard's band, recording three albums with them for Blue Note, including the Grammy-winning A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina). [1] [2] Parks can be heard on the soundtracks: Their Eyes Were Watching God and the Spike Lee and films: Inside Man , She Hate Me , and When the Levees Broke .

Parks released his first four albums on Keynote Records between 1999 and 2002. In 2008, he released Invisible Cinema , his debut for Blue Note. [3] Following this, he released two albums for ECM, and is currently an artist on Ropeadope Records.

He is a member of the band James Farm with saxophonist Joshua Redman, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland. [1] [4] He has toured with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. [1] [5]

Awards and honors

Discography

As leader

Year recordedYear releasedTitleLabelNotes
19991999The Promise Keynote Trio, with Evan Flory-Barnes (bass), Eric Peters (drums)
20002000First Romance Keynote Trio, with Larry Holloway and Evan Flory-Barnes (bass; separately), Julian MacDonough and Eric Peters (drums; separately)
20012001The Wizard Keynote Quintet, with Jay Thomas (trumpet, flugelhorn, tenor sax, soprano sax), Tim Green (alto sax), Jeff Johnson and Josh Ginsburg (bass; separately), Obed Calvaire (drums)
20022002Shadows Keynote Some tracks trio, with Matt Brewer (bass), Obed Calvaire (drums); some tracks quartet, with Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet) added
20082008 Invisible Cinema Blue Note Quartet, with Mike Moreno (guitar), Matt Penman (bass), Eric Harland (drums)
20112013Arborescence ECM Solo piano
20122013Alive in Japan(Independent)Trio, with Thomas Morgan (bass), RJ Miller (drums); in concert; digital download
20142016GroovementsStuntTrio, with Thomas Fonnesbaek (bass), Karsten Bagge (drums)
20152017Find the Way ECM Trio, with Ben Street (bass), Billy Hart (drums) [7]
20182018Little BigRopeadopeMost tracks quartet, with Greg Tuohey (guitar), David Ginyard (bass), Tommy Crane (drums); some tracks with Eliot Krimsky (keyboards) added
20192020Little Big II: Dreams of a Mechanical ManRopeadopeQuartet, with Greg Tuohey (guitar), David Ginyard, Jr (bass), Tommy Crane (drums, percussion) [8]
20212022Volume One(Independent)Trio, with Matt Brewer (bass), Eric Harland (drums); digital download [9]
20212022Volume Two(Independent)Trio, with Matt Brewer (bass), Eric Harland (drums); digital download [9] [10]
20232023Live in Berlin(Independent)Quartet, with Greg Tuohey (guitar), David Ginyard, Jr (bass), Jongkuk Kim (drums); digital download
20242024Little Big III Blue Note Quartet, with Greg Tuohey (guitar), David Ginyard (bass), Jongkuk Kim (drums)

Main sources: [11] [12]

As member

James Farm
With Joshua Redman, Matt Penman and Eric Harland

As sideman

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Collar, Matt. "Aaron Parks". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  2. GRAMMY.com Archived 2007-12-08 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "CRITICS' CHOICE: NEW CDS; Aaron Parks". New York Times. August 18, 2008. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  4. "James Farm". Nonesuch. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  5. "Aaron Parks". Blue Note. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  6. Panken, Ted (July 2016). "25 for the Future / Aaron Parks". DownBeat . Vol. 83, no. 7. Chicago. p. 36. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  7. "Find the Way". ECM Records. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  8. "Little Big II: Dreams of a Mechanical Man | Aaron Parks". Aaronparksmusic.bandcamp.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Volume One". Aaronparksmusic.bandcamp.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  10. "Volume Two". Aaronparksmusic.bandcamp.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  11. "Aaron Parks Discography". jazzdisco. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  12. "Aaron Parks". AllMusic. Retrieved September 29, 2018.