Pianist and composer Aaron Parks hits the road with music from By All Means, a new album that marks a fresh yet deeply rooted chapter in his musical journey. The album features Ben Solomon on tenor saxophone, Ben Street on bass, and the legendary Billy Hart on drums. For the tour, the band takes on a dynamic new energy, with Dayna Stephens on tenor saxophone and Cornelia Nilsson on drums joining Parks and Street. Together, this quartet brings the spirit of the album to life while exploring new directions through the material.
With By All Means, Parks embraces a more swinging, harmonically rich sound, drawing from the deep well of jazz tradition while making it uniquely his own. You can hear the influence of Wayne Shorter, Kenny Wheeler, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Duke Ellington in the compositions-filtered through Parks’ distinct perspective. The result is a true jazz record: melodic, intricate, and full of vibrant interplay, with songs that feel both classic and fresh, timeless and personal.
At its heart, By All Means is about connection- between musicians, between traditions, and between the emotional landscapes music can explore. There’s a romance to these songs, an undercurrent of love in many forms, expressed through memorable melodies and improvisations that speak with both clarity and heart.
This touring quartet brings the music to life with energy and spontaneity, offering audiences the chance to experience these songs as living, ever-evolving conversations.
Line-up:Tenor Saxophone – Dayna StephensPiano – Aaron ParksDouble Bass – Ben Street
Drums – Cornelia Nilsson