Little Big by Aaron Parks

Once again, our focus lies on Aaron Parks. The occasion this time is his latest album, released at the end of 2018 by Ropeadope. Little Big, recorded with Greg Tuohey – guitar, David Ginyard – bass and Tommy Crane on drums. At the first glance a surprising story, that started out as a combination of acoustic piano, electric guitar and a few vocals here and there. A fairy tale that calms you down and sends you off to a place far, far away.
Aaron Parks has already been mentioned here as one of the musicians that recorded the magical Diwan of Beauty and Odd by Dhafer Youssef. But before that album Parks has worked on some serious projects not just as a leader, but in collaboration with a handful of other musicians. We can say that his first album for ECM Invisible Cinema (2008) is still one of our favourites to this day. Then followed the James Farm era – also a permanent resident in our collection. And that’s how we get to the collaboration with Dhafer Youssef.
Here, in the latest album, we are once again witnessing the trend that has now become a standard in contemporary music – combining acoustic instruments with pedals. And it is with great pleasure that we say this, but Parks is one of the people that is brave enough to combine acoustic music with changed analogue sounds. That would be self-centered if a musician with no clear ideas and vision did it, but with someone who knows what they want to say and how they want to deliver the message, the result is incredible. And it is yet another journey throughout the world.
And here’s a last minute hot tip – we often end up having the same discussion after concerts or listening to albums – that  good albums and concerts end too quick and are too short – not this time, the album is almost an hour and a half long.
January 2019
© MA