Review

All the music on this disc–compositions and performances–show virtuosity, sensitivity, interplay and above all, a real group sound. — Kenny Barron, Shadows Liner Notes, February 2002

Amazing piano wizardry…great compositional skills…his pieces are at once lyrical, harmonically and rhythmically complex… — Kenny Barron, Shadows Liner Notes, February 2002

I was knocked out by Mr. Parks’ command of the piano…his maturity, his wealth of ideas, [and] his touch. — Kenny Barron, Shadows Liner Notes, February 2002

Product Description

Shadows, Aarons Parks’ newest release, presents 4 original compositions, two standards, and a Radiohead tune. Joining Aaron on the album are Matt Brewer on bass and Obed Calvaire on drums, with special guest Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet for one tune. The album opens with a moving rendition of Radiohead’s Knives Out, followed by an original composition, Shortly, a minor blues inspired by Wayne Shorter that features Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet. Shadows is a complicated composition which negotiates its way through many different time signatures and grooves. The piece is framed beautifully by Matt’s rubato introduction and ending. Alone Together is performed with a looseness of time and energy that gives new meaning to the tune. Dancing by Myself, a floating song in triple meter, follows, with an extended piano introduction. Closing the album is Memory of a Flame, an uplifting ballad that is dedicated to the memory of September 11.

About the Artist

Aaron Parks, 18, Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association, is a jazz pianist/composer/bandleader who has been garnering an impressive international reputation. Having skipped high school, he entered the University of Washington at 14, became a National Merit Scholar at 15, and transferred to the Manhattan School of Music at 16 to study under piano great, Kenny Barron. In January 2002, Aaron joined the critically acclaimed Terence Blanchard Quintet.
After his trio released their debut CD, The Promise, they were named 1999 Northwest Emerging Group of the Year and listed among Seattle’s 1999 Top Ten Noteworthy Jazz Performances. He was also honored as a Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellow, a Yamaha Young Performing Artist, a Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Recipient, a National Grammy Ensemble participant, and a Down Beat Magazine Outstanding College Instrumentalist. In the summer of 2000, in addition to receiving a Presidential Medallion in a ceremony with President Clinton and performing at the Kennedy Center as a Presidential Scholar, he was awarded Third Prize in the Jas Hennessy Piano Solo Competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In February 2001, he was awarded First Place as a piano soloist in the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, College Division, and his trio from the Manhattan School of Music was invited to play at the North Sea Jazz Festival. In April, 2001, Aaron won First Place in the 5th American Jazz Piano Competition, becoming the First Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association.
Critical response to Aaron’s music has been exceptionally positive. After hearing Aaron’s debut CD, The Promise, jazz critic Paul De Barros compared his story-telling and melodic lines to Stan Getz and Keith Jarrett. In response to Aaron’s second CD, Paul De Barros commented, “Though prodigies are not unusual in jazz–think of Clifford Brown and Wynton Marsalis–genius is rare…this kid’s the real thing.” About Aaron’s third release, The Wizard, Jim Wilke of Jazz After Hours stated, “Listening to his touch and nuance at the piano makes me aware of what promise is fulfilled here and how much more we have to look forward to!” Kenny Barron commented about his 4th CD, Shadows, “All of the music on this disc–compositions and performances–show virtuosity, sensitivity, interplay and above all, a real group sound.”
Aaron has been featured on television, on radio, in magazines, and in newspapers, including a front-page article in the Seattle Times by Paul De Barros. Seattle’s public television station, KCTS-9 has featured Aaron on several broadcasts, including a 3-minute brief program entitled “Currents,” a 10-minute documentary about his playing, and numerous guest appearances on “KCTS Connects.” He was also profiled in September 2000, in a 10-minute segment for National Public Radio entitled, “Teen Jazz Prodigy,” which aired nationwide. Most recently, he joined Marian McPartland on her show, “Piano Jazz,” which aired nationally on National Public Radio (NPR) in late October, 2001. Aaron performs internationally with the Terence Blanchard Quintet and with his own groups. Aaron’s four albums, The Promise, First Romance, The Wizard, and Shadows, are all available on Amazon.com. For more information about Aaron Parks, please visit KeynoteRecords.com.
Obed Calvaire, 20, from Miami, Florida, Matt Brewer from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Ambrose Akinmusire, 19, from Oakland, California, have all showed tremendous talent at yo