09-05-2020, 14:42
AARON PARKS - Little Big II: Dreams of a Mechanical Man
![[Image: 17103509_1_92.jpg]](https://blob.cede.ch/catalog/17103000/17103509_1_92.jpg)
Personnel:
Aaron Parks - piano, synthesizers, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, celeste, vibraphone, glockenspiel, chimes, voice
Greg Tuohey - guitar
David Ginyard, Jr - bass
Tommy Crane - drums, percussion
Brilliant – these guys are amazingly together. This is jazz of the nouveau persuasion and hits all the right notes for me; not highbrow – rather the opposite, and impeccably produced – an absolute joy to listen to. This is a follow up to the quartet’s previous album, Little Big, and l could probably say more or less the same about this one as I did about that, except that between that and this, they’ve possibly found even more of their mojo. I have been unable to find anything new that I want to listen to lately, so I was happy to dive into this release.
My understanding of jazz is limited and probably quite Philistine, but the thing that I don’t love is that it usually meanders around all over the place (sincere apologies to the purists) and my attention span, or musical intelligence, is simply not enough to keep up with it; my non-mathematical brain loses the thread and I have no idea where I am - this is not like that, which is why it sits so well with me. Let me qualify that though – there are ‘proper’ jazz musicians with a certain something that defies description who I can and will listen to and enjoy – I suppose it’s much like anything else, always exceptions to the rule. Or maybe it’s the headphones, lol! My set broke and since the times require caution, I ordered some basic Sennheisers that I found on a super duper special. I’m astonished to find that they are perfectly adequate for such a seemingly simple set of cans - comfortable, and streets ahead of anything else I could have got for the price. I’ll have to upgrade next time around but meanwhile I’m suitably impressed with the range on these – who’da thought?
Anyway – back to Parks & Co., there’s an occasional rocky sort of thing going on as well, which IMHO just adds to the colour – all these musicians are extremely capable – aside from Park’s truly fab keys, great mellow bass, nice understated guitar which still makes its presence felt, and tasteful percussion. A tasteful effort altogether, I'd say, while at the same time showcasing versatility. Works perfectly for my present frame of mind. An hour plus (if added up correctly) and doesn’t drag. I think they fit the mould of artists who are so well versed in their craft that they can take chances and break stereotypes with impunity. This is not pure jazz and is also not what I would refer to as fusion – whatever anyone cares to label it, I think it’s luverly stuff. All instrumental ...
"Solace" ....
Personnel:
Aaron Parks - piano, synthesizers, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, celeste, vibraphone, glockenspiel, chimes, voice
Greg Tuohey - guitar
David Ginyard, Jr - bass
Tommy Crane - drums, percussion
Brilliant – these guys are amazingly together. This is jazz of the nouveau persuasion and hits all the right notes for me; not highbrow – rather the opposite, and impeccably produced – an absolute joy to listen to. This is a follow up to the quartet’s previous album, Little Big, and l could probably say more or less the same about this one as I did about that, except that between that and this, they’ve possibly found even more of their mojo. I have been unable to find anything new that I want to listen to lately, so I was happy to dive into this release.
My understanding of jazz is limited and probably quite Philistine, but the thing that I don’t love is that it usually meanders around all over the place (sincere apologies to the purists) and my attention span, or musical intelligence, is simply not enough to keep up with it; my non-mathematical brain loses the thread and I have no idea where I am - this is not like that, which is why it sits so well with me. Let me qualify that though – there are ‘proper’ jazz musicians with a certain something that defies description who I can and will listen to and enjoy – I suppose it’s much like anything else, always exceptions to the rule. Or maybe it’s the headphones, lol! My set broke and since the times require caution, I ordered some basic Sennheisers that I found on a super duper special. I’m astonished to find that they are perfectly adequate for such a seemingly simple set of cans - comfortable, and streets ahead of anything else I could have got for the price. I’ll have to upgrade next time around but meanwhile I’m suitably impressed with the range on these – who’da thought?
Anyway – back to Parks & Co., there’s an occasional rocky sort of thing going on as well, which IMHO just adds to the colour – all these musicians are extremely capable – aside from Park’s truly fab keys, great mellow bass, nice understated guitar which still makes its presence felt, and tasteful percussion. A tasteful effort altogether, I'd say, while at the same time showcasing versatility. Works perfectly for my present frame of mind. An hour plus (if added up correctly) and doesn’t drag. I think they fit the mould of artists who are so well versed in their craft that they can take chances and break stereotypes with impunity. This is not pure jazz and is also not what I would refer to as fusion – whatever anyone cares to label it, I think it’s luverly stuff. All instrumental ...
"Solace" ....
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
