Ausverkauft: WDR Bigband w/ Aaron Parks #1

– Central Parks –

When Aaron Parks launched the ensemble of the same name for his sensational album Little Big six years ago, the jazz world went into raptures: Little Big was what jazz could be in the new century! The pianist, keyboardist and composer, who was born in Seattle in 1983, was already the talk of the town when he launched his career at the age of 25 with the Blue Note album Invisible Cinema and went on to become one of the most promising and original musicians in modern jazz. Parks infused his melodically delicate compositions as well as his complex improvisations with sprinklings of indie rock, electronica and hip hop. Since then, he has played with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Dhafer Youssef, Terri Lyne Carrington, Ambrose Akinmusire, Marcus Miller and Joshua Redman, among others; released a solo album and played in a trio, currently with Matt Brewer and Eric Harland. So what was Aaron Parks still missing from his impressive portfolio? That's right, the really big line-up!

So what could be more obvious than a project with the WDR Big Band? The band has always had a big heart for pianists, and not just because its own ranks traditionally include outstanding artists such as Bora Roković, Frank Chastenier and, most recently, Billy Test. It also always has an open ear for "young cats" such as Johanna Summer or Simon Oslender, but above all it regularly welcomes internationally outstanding heavyweights: From Chano Domínguez to Fred Hersch, from Snarky Puppy co-founder Bill Laurance to the free-spirited border crosser Jacob Collier and Makato Ozone, who so masterfully combines the sound worlds of jazz and classical music - the WDR Big Band has always provided great moments.