Aaron Parks
Encyclopedia
Aaron Parks is a jazz pianist.
at the age of 14 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 at the age of 16 to the Manhattan School of Music
. During his final year he began touring with Terence Blanchard
's band, recording three albums with him for Blue Note Records, including the Grammy-winning "A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)." He toured with Kurt Rosenwinkel
and has recently been signed by Blue Note Records
. He is touring with James Farm, a Quartet with Joshua Redman.
Aaron can be heard on the soundtracks to Their Eyes Were Watching God
and Spike Lee
films including Inside Man
, She Hate Me
, and When the Levees Broke
.
Aaron is a Yamaha
Performing Artist. He currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
As a Sideman
Collaborations
Personal
Aaron entered the University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
at the age of 14 through the Transition School and Early Entrance Program
Transition School and Early Entrance Program
The Transition School and Early Entrance Program is an early college entrance program located on the University of Washington campus at the Halbert and Nancy Robinson Center for Young Scholars. The program was begun in 1977 by the late Halbert Robinson, who recognized the need for extremely...
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 at the age of 16 to the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
. During his final year he began touring with Terence Blanchard
Terence Blanchard
Terence Oliver Blanchard is an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, arranger, and film score composer. Since he emerged on the scene in 1980 with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and then shortly thereafter with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blanchard has been a leading artist in jazz...
's band, recording three albums with him for Blue Note Records, including the Grammy-winning "A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)." He toured with Kurt Rosenwinkel
Kurt Rosenwinkel
Kurt Rosenwinkel is an American jazz guitarist and keyboardist who came to prominence in the 1990s.-Biography:He attended the Berklee School of Music for two and a half years before leaving in his junior year to tour with Gary Burton, the dean of the school at the time...
and has recently been signed by Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
. He is touring with James Farm, a Quartet with Joshua Redman.
Aaron can be heard on the soundtracks to Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Their Eyes Were Watching God is a 1937 novel and the best-known work by African American writer Zora Neale Hurston. Set in central and southern Florida in the early 20th century, the novel garnered attention and controversy at the time of its publication, and has come to be regarded as a seminal...
and Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
films including Inside Man
Inside Man
Inside Man is a 2006 crime-drama film directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Willem Dafoe and Jodie Foster. The film's screenplay was written by Russell Gewirtz and produced by Brian Grazer...
, She Hate Me
She Hate Me
She Hate Me is a 2004 independent comedy-drama film directed by Spike Lee and starring Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Brian Dennehy, Woody Harrelson, Bai Ling and John Turturro....
, and When the Levees Broke
When the Levees Broke
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts is a 2006 documentary film directed by Spike Lee about the devastation of New Orleans, Louisiana due to the failure of the levees during Hurricane Katrina. It was filmed in late August and early September 2005, and premiered at the New Orleans Arena on...
.
Aaron is a Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
Performing Artist. He currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Awards
- Jas Hennessy Piano Solo Competition at Montreux (Third Place)
- Cole Porter Fellow of the American Pianists Association (First Place)
- Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition (Third Place)
Discography
- The Promise (1999)
- First Romance (2000)
- The Wizard (2001)
- Shadows (2002)
- Invisible CinemaInvisible CinemaInvisible Cinema is an album by jazz pianist and composer Aaron Parks, that was released on the Blue Note label on August 19, 2008. The album is Parks' debut for Blue Note.-Track listing:# "Travelers"# "Peaceful Warrior"# "Nemesis"...
(2008)
As a Sideman
- BounceBounce (Terence Blanchard album)Bounce is a 2003 jazz album by Terence Blanchard, released through Blue Note.- Background :Bounce is the Blue Note recording debut of trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard. The album is a mix of the sounds of Africa, Brazil and America, with the styles of swing, hard bop, free form, groove and...
(2003) - Terence BlanchardTerence BlanchardTerence Oliver Blanchard is an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, arranger, and film score composer. Since he emerged on the scene in 1980 with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and then shortly thereafter with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blanchard has been a leading artist in jazz... - FlowFlow (Terence Blanchard album)Flow is a 2005 jazz album by Grammy winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard, released through Blue Note, and was nominated for a Grammy Award "Best Jazz Instrumental Album" in 2005.-Background:...
(2005) - Terence BlanchardTerence BlanchardTerence Oliver Blanchard is an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, arranger, and film score composer. Since he emerged on the scene in 1980 with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and then shortly thereafter with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blanchard has been a leading artist in jazz... - On My Way Back Home (2005) - Daisuke Abe
- Short Songs (EP) (2006) - Amanda Baisinger
- Casually Introducing Walter Smith III (2006) - Walter Smith IIIWalter Smith IIIWalter Smith III is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Walter Smith III has garnered notoriety by playing with some of the biggest names in Jazz, such as trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard, Roy Haynes, Christian McBride, Mulgrew Miller, and Joe Lovano. Also, he has toured with R&B artists such as...
- Lucid Dream (2006) - Patrick Cornelius
- A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)A Tale of God's Will is an album recorded in 2007 by the Terence Blanchard Quintet.In 2008, won a Grammy Award for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album," and was nominated for "Best Jazz Instrument Solo" for his work on the song, "Levees."-Background:Film director Spike Lee commissioned New Orleans...
(2007) - Terence BlanchardTerence BlanchardTerence Oliver Blanchard is an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, arranger, and film score composer. Since he emerged on the scene in 1980 with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and then shortly thereafter with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Blanchard has been a leading artist in jazz... - Night Songs (2007) - Ferenc Nemeth
- Between the Lines (2007) - Mike Moreno
- The Source (2007) - Kendrick ScottKendrick ScottKendrick Scott is an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer. Scott is the founder of the World Culture Music Record Company.-Biography:Kendrick A.D. Scott was born and raised in Houston, Texas...
- Anthem (2007) - Christian ScottChristian ScottChristian Scott, born March 31, 1983, in New Orleans, Louisiana, is the 2010 Edison Award winner for Best International Jazz Artist and a Grammy Award-nominated jazz trumpeter, composer and producer. He has been heralded by JazzTimes magazine as "the Architect of a new commercially viable fusion"...
- Catch of the Day (2008) - Matt Penman
- Prelude ... to: Cora (2008) - Ambrose AkinmusireAmbrose AkinmusireAmbrose Akinmusire is a jazz trumpeter.In 2007 Akinmusire was the winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, and the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition, two of the most prestigious jazz competitions in the world.-Biography:By the time the lone standard...
- Promises (2008) - Will Vinson
- Triptych (2008) - Justin Vasquez
- Dear Someone (2009) - Anders Christensen
- In A DreamIn a Dream"In a Dream" is a song written and produced by Randy Taylor-Weber of Galaxy Freestyle Records. The song was first created in San Leandro, CA in 1989 in an upstairs studio with a three girl group by the name of First Kiss. It was a house recording made just for the pure enjoyment of entertainment...
(2009) - Gretchen ParlatoGretchen ParlatoGretchen Parlato is an American jazz singer. She has performed and recorded with musicians such as Lionel Loueke, Wayne Shorter and Kenny Barron.... - First In Mind (2011) - Mike Moreno
Collaborations
- James Farm (2011) - with Joshua RedmanJoshua RedmanJoshua Redman is an American jazz saxophonist and composer who records for Nonesuch Records. He won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991.-Biography:...
, Matt Penman, Eric HarlandEric HarlandEric Harland is an American jazz drummer.Besides leading his own group Harland has performed with many renowned artists, including Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, Joshua Redman, Ravi Coltrane, Kenny Garrett, Dave Holland, Charles Lloyd, Michael Brecker, Terence Blanchard, Walter Smith...
External links
- http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=71196347 - 147k -
- http://bluenote.com/MainNewsDetail.aspx?newsId=11271&promoId=690 - 147k -
- Aaron Parks at NPR Music