QuoteReplyTopic: Aaron Parks & Little Big - Little Big III Posted: 4 hours 58 minutes ago at 12:02pm
Recording of the Week,Aaron Parks & Little Big - Little Big III
by Dan Spirrett
Little Big III showcases Aaron Parks’s captivating compositions, free-flowing melodies and deep improvisational concepts, and is the third studio album from his acclaimed band, featuring guitarist Greg Tuohey, bassist David Ginyard Jr., and drummer Jongkuk Kim. Parks has released numerous albums as a bandleader throughout his career, beginning with his Blue Note debut, Invisible Cinema, in 2008, and has also been a member of the band James Farm alongside Joshua Redman and Eric Harland. Parks's musical style is characterized by a blend of modern, genre-defying improvisation that reflects his deep musical intuition and compositional skill. Little Big III captures the band’s organic energy, adopting a more collaborative approach with which to allow the music to unfold naturally, and the ensemble to shape its sound.
The album’s stripped-back approach fosters musical conversations and spontaneity, enhanced by Parks’s emphatic piano and Tuohey’s guitar, which interweave thematically throughout. Standout tracks include “Sports” and “Delusion,” both exemplary of the collaborative platform the group has cultivated for collective inspiration. “Sports” is a loose, Afrobeat-inspired piece, led by piano and guitar, and culminates in an upbeat and lyrical piano solo by Parks, setting the stage for a rowdy jazz-rock guitar solo reminiscent of Joe Zawinul and Weather Report. The melody of “Delusion” is succinct, with each member supporting it in a triangle-like formation. Ginyard Jr.'s bass blends smoothly, driving a cyclic bassline supported by Kim’s sensitive drumming. Compositionally, the theme acts as a bridge between solos, circling back as a launchpad for further improvisation. The track's narrative takes an unexpected turn as cascading piano arpeggios merge with a powerful drum crescendo and a tempestuous guitar. The album's writing is concise and accessible, inviting listeners into its musical journey.
The other tracks are equally notable: “Ashe” is an uplifting, cloud-like ballad featuring a soul-searching improvisation from Parks, contrasting with the groovy fusion of “Little Beginnings” and “Locked Down.” The latter, a nod to the pandemic era, is dark and edgy yet laced with beautiful melodic corners.
Little Big III stands as a testament to Aaron Parks’s evolution as a bandleader. The album’s strength lies not only in its focused, approachable compositions but in the ensemble’s vibrant interplay - a reflection of Parks’s belief that loosening control can lead to greater creativity. Parks explains: “There was very little trying to create the perfect take; it was a lot more, ‘Let’s play everything a few times and try to capture the vibe as best we can.’” The result is an album that feels both spontaneous and carefully crafted - a delicate balance between structure and improvisation that showcases the maturity and musical rapport of the ensemble. This freedom to explore while maintaining a narrative thread brings real cohesion and dynamism to the group. Among the lyrical pianists of our time, Aaron Parks has carved out a unique voice. With this latest Little Big project, he apears to have built the perfect environment for it to flourish.
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