The Promise

Product Description This CD is a compilation of the trio's favorite tunes. Billie's Bounce, one of Aaron's all-time favorite blues, was great fun to record. The trio worked well together, building as a unit and laying back the song for a more relaxed feel. Aaron's solo grows gradually in intensity, reaching its high point when the bass drops out, with two choruses of a piano-drum duo. The trio had been performing the moving ballad, Everything Happens to Me, for some time. About fifteen minutes before the recording session, waiting for the others to arrive, Aaron sat down at the piano and began to reharmonize parts of the song. The new chords add an element of mystery and help make the piece take on a darker tone. Early Entry, written by Aaron, came to life during Spring quarter of 1999 at the University of Washington this past year. He started out trying to write an F blues with a #11 in almost every chord. But after he wrote a melody for the song, the chords no longer seemed to fit. So he kept the melody and rewrote the changes to fit the melody. The result took on several preliminary titles, finally settling as Early Entry, after the University of Washington's Early Entry Program, which Aaron has been attending since he was 14. It also seemed apt for Aaron and his trio, as they are making a somewhat early entry into the jazz scene. Double Tall Latte was written while Aaron was in New York during the Summer of 1999, attending the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Workshop. While running through some tunes at the school, the idea came to him to write a blues that used extensive minor thirds. The title for the song became apparent as Aaron ordered his usual Hazelnut Double Tall Latte at Tully's Coffee in Seattle, where his trio had been playing regularly. The Latin arrangement of Autumn Leaves came together in pieces. First, Aaron reharmonized parts of the song for a combo performance at the University of Washington and played it extensively as a swing tune. But when they got to the studio to record Autumn Leaves, he realized that they didn't have many Latin tunes on the CD. On the spot, they worked out the Latin arrangement for Autumn Leaves at the recording studio and have been performing it that way ever since. The result is a fresh, invigorating approach to a wonderful jazz standard. Footprints was a natural to include in the recording. The bassist, Evan Flory-Barnes, had suggested that the trio play the tune. They had performed it at various clubs, creating a mood that was almost spellbinding. But in the earlier takes of this song, they had difficulty achieving this feeling, partly because of the bright lights, partly because of the early hour, and partly because they were trying too hard. They nearly settled on a version that was technically strong but uninspiring. But Eric Peters, the drummer, felt that they could take the song somewhere else entirely if they could only play more loosely and without restraint. In this final cut, the bass provides the groundwork, the drums provide the splashes of color and together, they all create a transcending, almost ethereal mood that returns to that of their live performances. Aaron had been performing Well You Needn't for some time and thought it would be a good song for the CD. Right before the recording session, he worked out an arrangement of the tune which departed markedly from Monk's original one, with a lot of punches in unusual places--in a very Monkish style. After playing it through in the studio, they decided it might be fun to do as a funk and that Monk would probably have enjoyed hearing it that way--but they kept Aaron's original bridge. It Could Happen to You is one of the trio's favorites because of its beautiful melody and great changes. The slow, deeply moving introduction to the song provides a window into Aaron's inner person. This version also shows the strong connection between the musicians as they interact sensitively, particularly during the solos. The last tune, The Promise, landed on this CD almost as an afterthought. The trio had been recording several takes of Everything Happens to Me and had finished a little early. On a lark, Aaron suggested they just take a pass at The Promise, which had always been well received in performances. Without really working out the details of the arrangement, they began to play what would become one of their favorite renditions of the song. Recorded in one take, The Promise has an energy level that rivals that of a live performances. The ending, in particular, has a spark that is difficult to replicate. This song seems a fitting last tune and title for the CD; the trio, both individually and as a group, shows great promise in their chosen field--jazz. Review Aaron Parks is one of the brightest, most talented musicians I have ever worked with... His music is beautifully intense -- Marc Seales, jazz pianist, Director of Jazz Studies, University of Washington This is the mark of musical genius, the kind
ASIN: B00003OPDE
VSKU: DBV.B00003OPDE.G
Condition: Good
Binding: Audio CD
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Condition Notes: Individually inspected: Guaranteed to play perfectly or your money back. Case may show wear and may be in library packaging. Ships Fast!