First Romance - Premium Romantic Gifts for Couples, Anniversaries & Valentine's Day | Perfect for Date Nights, Weddings & Special Occasions

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Product Description First Romance, 16-year-old jazz pianist Aaron Parks' second CD, is a compilation of mostly live recordings made in and around Seattle, Washington. In addition to performing with his original trio mates, Evan Flory-Barnes and Eric Peters, he also performs here with Larry Holloway on bass and Julian MacDonough on drums. The title track, First Romance, along with his award winning tune, The Wizard, were composed by Aaron Parks. Also included are classic standards, such as All the Things You Are, Stella by Starlight, and Oleo. The trio's stunning rendition of Sam Rivers' Beatrice, comes from a University of Washington performance which has been listed by the Seattle Times as one of the top 10 notable jazz acts of 1999. The Aaron Parks Trio, with Evan Flory-Barnes on Bass, and Eric Peters on Drums, was awarded Northwest Emerging Group of the Year for 1999 by Seattle's Earshot Jazz. Aaron Parks has also received awards as a Yamaha Young Performing Artist, Presiden! tial Scholar in the Arts, Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellow, National High School Grammy Ensemble member, and Betty Carter Jazz Ahead participant. Most recently, he earned Third Place in the international Jas Hennessey Piano Solo Competition held at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Summer 2000. Aaron Parks is currently a student at Manhattan School of Music, studying under piano great, Kenny Barron. 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 WashingtonThis is the mark of musical genius, the kind of story-telling feel one gets from players such as Stan Getz and Jarrett -- Paul de Barros, The Seattle Times, November 24, 1999Though prodigies are not unusual in jazz--think of Clifford Brown, and Wynton Marsalis--genius is rare... This kid's the real thing -- Paul de Barros, First Romance Liner Notes, July 1999[Aaron Parks] is a vital, fresh, new, creative force ready to begin his career in the jazz world -- Joanne Brackeen, jazz pianist & composer About the Artist A A R O N PA R K S is unique in several respects. Not only is he a college student playing deeply engaging originals and uniquely arranged standards, but the pianist/bandleader should really be a sophomore in high school. Instead, he “skipped” high school to enter the University of Washington at the age of 14. Now 16, Parks is a National Merit Scholar and Jazz Studies major under the guidance of Marc Seales. In Fall, 2000, Aaron transfers to the Manhattan School of Music to study under jazz great, Kenny Barron. Despite his youth, Parks is garnering critical acclaim as an emerging jazz pianist of significant talent and promise. He began formal piano lessons with Murl Allen Sanders at the age of ten, after being shown the jazz tune, In the Mood; to everyone’s surprise, he just sat down and improvised on the tune. A few months later, he joined The Imperials (now called Music Works Northwest), a community youth jazz ensemble, even though he couldn’t play piano. He spent that year learning to play jazz piano through his big band charts. By thirteen, Parks had joined the Langley Middle School Jazz Band, earning two Outstanding Jazz Soloist Awards for piano and First Place in the Middle School Combo Division from the prestigious Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival; he also earned an Outstanding Soloist Award for a rendition of ‘Round Midnight on jazz bassoon. He returned to the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and entered the Reno Jazz Festival in Spring, 1999 with his trio, this time in the college division. Once again, his trio did exceptionally well, earning Outstanding Soloist Awards for all at both festivals. In 2000, his trio, with Evan Flory-Barnes on bass and Eric Peters on drums, won First Place in Reno Jazz Festival’s College Division. What makes Aaron Parks’ playing so compelling? In a front-page Seattle Times article (November 24, 1999), Paul De Barros, national jazz critic, commented that “Parks plays with remarkably fluid technique and an uncannily natural feel for melodic line…he seemed to be speaking transparently through the instrument, as if he were looking for—and finding—the right sounds. This is the mark of musical genius, the kind of story-telling feel one gets from players such as Stan Getz and [Keith] Jarrett.” Later that month, De Barros listed the trio’s November concert at Brechemin Auditorium as one of Seattle’s top ten noteworthy concerts of 1999 (Seattle Times, December 30, 1999). Most recently, Aaron and his bassist, Evan Flory-Barnes, appeared on the front page of the Arts Section in the Seattle Times (Seattle Times, January 23, 2000). A recent review in Earshot Jazz (November, 1999) was also enthusiastic. Peter Monaghan described Aaron’s playing as “…energetic, tasteful, and sensitive…he displays an impressive command of the vocabulary of a well-seasoned jazz musician." Most of all, Aaron plays from the heart. Marc Seales, Director of Jazz Studies at the UW and renowned jazz pianist describes Parks as “a natural…one of the brightest, most talented musicians I have ever worked with. His music is beautifully intense. A real piano talent!” Last summer, Aaron began to capture the attention of internationally-renowned jazz musicians as well. For example, Joanne Brackeen, international jazz pianist and composer remarked that "This 16 year-old pianist/composer/bandleader is a fresh, new, vital, creative force ready to begin his career in the jazz world…” And Bob West, L.A. bassist and Motown recording artist who has toured with many jazz giants, commented that "I haven’t seen this kind of talent at this age since I first heard Stevie Wonder and Billy Preston." Things feel like they are taking off for Aaron. In December, 1999, Aaron was selected as a Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellow by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) in a blind competition of over 5,000 applicants. As an award recipient, he was invited to perform at Artsweek 2000 in Miami and at the International Association of Jazz Educators in New Orleans in January, 2000. As a result of his performance in Miami, he was awarded the top Level I award of $3,000 and has been designated a Presidential Scholar in the Arts by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. As one of the twenty Presidential Scholars in the Arts, Aaron will fly to Washington D.C. in June, receive a Presidential Medallion in a ceremony with President Clinton, and perform at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The NFAA also awarded Aaron the only jazz composition award for his original jazz compositions, Early Entry, Double Tall Latte (both on his new CD), and Serp! entine. Also in January, he was selected by the Grammy Foundation to perform in the 2000 Grammy Combo this February; they performed at the Grammy nominees party the night before the Grammys. In April, Aaron was one of 24 jazz performers/composers to be selected for the prestigious Betty Carter Jazz Ahead residency program at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He received a 10-day all expenses paid trip to D.C. to study with world-class jazz masters such as George Cables, Terence Blanchard and John Pattitucci, and to perform his original compositions at the Kennedy Center. Aaron was also selected as a Yamaha Young Performing Artist by the Yamaha Corporation and was just selected by Down Beat Magazine as Outstanding College Instrumental Performer. Most recently, Aaron was one of ten semi-finalists from around the world and only two from the U.S. invited to perform in the 2000 Jas Hennessy Piano Solo Competition held at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. At the competition, he was selected for the finals and earned Third Place overall. Aaron has also been receiving a fair amount of media attention lately. In the summer of 1999, KCTS-9 public television in Seattle filmed a short "Currents" program about Parks and his trio, featuring performances at home, at a jazz club, and in the recording studio. KCTS-9 has also been discussing his writing an original composition for a special program to be televised in the next few months. Most recently, he appeared on the KCTS-9 television show, “KCTS Connects” on May 25, 1999, and was filmed for a longer segment with a full interview on the same show for the Fall. A special report by the Jim Lehrer News Hour on the University of Washington’s Early Entry Program was also filmed in Spring, 1999, featuring Aaron in an extensive interview and playing piano; this should air shortly. Aaron has also appeared on KING-5 news on two occasions—once when he was thirteen and again when he released his first CD, The Promise, at Jazz Alley. Aaron has also been featured in numerou! s newspaper and magazine articles, including The Seattle Times, Earshot Jazz, the April on-line issue of “Sounds of Seattle,” the May issue of Seattle Homes and Lifestyles, and the DVD Reporter, an on-line magazine which highlights young, promising musicians. On the airwaves, Aaron made his debut November, 1999, with a guest appearance on KBCS-91.3 FM as they played cuts from his new CD, The Promise. He returned in July, 2000 to do the same for his second CD, First Romance. His trio has also performed live in the studios of KUOW Weekday (94.9 FM) with Dave Beck. In addition to KBCS-91.3 FM, his music can also be heard regularly on KPLU-88.5 FM. Most recently, KPLU recorded an extensive interview with Aaron and his family, in preparation for a National Public Radio (NPR) program about Aaron, which aired nationally in September, 2000. Aaron currently has two CD’s out: The Promise, with Evan Flory-Barnes on bass, formerly of Garfield High School and Eric Peters on drums, formerly of Shorecrest High School, and First Romance, which includes the playing of Larry Holloway (bass) and Julian MacDonough (drums). His third CD, The Wizard, comprised of all original compositions, will be out in the Fall of 2000.. The Promise features two of Parks’ original compositions—Early Entry and Double Tall Latte—plus creative arrangements of jazz standards such as Well You Needn't, The Promise, Footprints, Autumn Leaves, It Could Happen to You, and others. First Romance is a collection of mostly live performances around the Seattle area, with originals First Romance and The Wizard and great standards, such as Oleo, Beatrice, and All the Things You Are. For more information about Aaron Parks or to inquire about bookings, please email Judie Stein, Business Manager for the trio, at [email protected] Parks - piano Larry Holloway - base (1,3,5,7) Evan Flory-Barnes - base (2,3,6) Julian MacDonough - drums (1,3,4,5,7) Eric Peters - drums (2,6) See more