Aaron Parks - Music to give shape to the inner world

On the occasion of the "Statodellarte festival" (Lecce, October 3-4-5) we had the chance to interview Aaron Parks. Born in Seattle in 1983, the American musician studied music and computer science in parallel. A prolific composer, he alternates collaborations with different musicians in a continuous and stimulating musical journey. 

Welcome Aaron, and thank you for your time. Last year on OndaRock we reviewed "Little Big III", so I'd like to start from there. With this album you returned to Blue Note Records and worked with a new drummer. How did it go?

With "Little Big III" the chemistry of the group changed a great deal, with Jongkuk Kim coming in on drums. Every drummer brings their own energy, their own balance, so this change was very stimulating. New possibilities opened up for our music. Coming back to Blue Note felt wonderful, because it was like coming home.

"Little Big II: Dreams Of A Mechanical Man" explored robotic imagery; "III" doesn't have such an explicit title, but it seems to dwell on inner dimensions and on the theme of mental health, which you talked about in 2022. Is it connected to your personal experience?

Mental health and interiority are a natural development of my songwriting, regardless of how explicit the titles are. In fact, most of the songs I write are, in one way or another, attempts to reflect or give shape to an inner dimension. Sometimes that means confronting difficult aspects too. As for "III", you can feel it especially in tracks like "Locked Down", which I started writing at the beginning of the Covid lockdown. There's a certain claustrophobia in it, born of that period. As for my personal experience, living with bipolar disorder is part of my reality, but I don't think mental health is only what can be diagnosed: it's something everyone has to reckon with, especially given that sense of anxiety and overwhelm so present in contemporary life. 

Robotic imagery returns in "The Machines Say No". In your training, music went hand in hand with computer science. How much does this meeting of two worlds affect your creative process? And what did you mean when you said that without imperfection music doesn't mean much to you?

Robotic imagery really does come back in "The Machines Say No", but that track was actually written by our guitarist, Greg Tuohey. The title comes from a phrase he sometimes blurts out, half-jokingly, when he stops to think about something and then comes out with a negative answer: "The machines say no." To me it's a fun window into his imagination. I've always been drawn to the way imperfection makes music feel alive. The unexpected, the mistakes, the rough edges create sudden opportunities that you respond to immediately. I associate them with the Japanese concept of "wabi-sabi", or with the practice of kintsugi, where cracks in ceramics are repaired with golden patches instead of being hidden. It's an image that touches me deeply. Flaws are part of a story.

We were particularly fond of "Sport". Can you tell us something about its genesis, so we can get a glimpse of your creative process? Is there a song on "III" you feel especially attached to?

"Sports" was also written by Greg Tuohey. He composed it years ago, while putting together a solo guitar set for the Blue Note at Sea jazz cruise. He wanted to create something he could play with a loop pedal, so he came up with this repetitive bass line and a simple, irresistible melody to play over it. It's less simple than it sounds, but it's incredibly catchy and conveys a contagious joy - you can't help smiling when you hear it… And it's also a springboard for improvisation. As for the tracks I composed on the album, I have a special bond with "Heart Stories". It's tender, built around a very simple harmonic triad, reminiscent of a chorale. About halfway through, the piece breaks off and slips into another, hidden dimension - that's where the piano solo comes in. That part wasn't "composed" in the conventional sense, but came out of an improvisation I recorded at home and later transcribed. It sounds like a heart suddenly opening up, and it's as if you wanted to preserve that exact moment. 

How would you describe the way different genres blend together in your music? We're talking about jazz, of course, but also indie-rock, electro and much more. Sometimes the term "post-genre" is used; what do you think of this category, both for your music and in general?

Blending genres is very common today, it no longer seems like anything unusual; many musicians listen to extremely different things, and these end up influencing their work quite naturally. For me, the important thing is to make sure these blends don't sound artificial or gratuitous. I don't want it to sound like something planned out on paper; I want it to sound like the natural development of my path and of what I listen to. As for labels and categories, I understand why they're used, and I know they're very useful for listeners. They help people better explore a genre they already enjoy. But from the point of view of someone who makes music, categories feel more like an outside perspective than something to keep in mind. I find them a bit baffling. 

You studied music with Kenny Barron. Is his teaching still present in your work? Are there other artists you feel have particularly influenced you?

Studying with Kenny Barron left a huge mark on me. In particular, his sense of rhythm, as something rooted in the body, not just in the head. There's a gravity and a vitality in the way he inhabits time that I still carry with me. Besides Kenny, the list of influences is endless, and always growing. But one I'd like to mention is Danilo Pérez. I met him shortly after moving to New York; both his musicality and his spirit left a great impression on me. 

In your musical journey you've worked with many different musicians, alternating and returning to collaborations with them over time. How important is it for you to meet and work with different artists in parallel? Do these collaborations influence one another?

I like working on different projects. I love the continuity that comes from deep, long-standing relationships with musicians I've known for years, but new encounters bring a lot of inspiration, thanks to the novelty and the unexpected. There's joy in both cases – the trust and depth of a long collaboration, and the spark of playing with someone new. And yes, both experiences do influence each other. 

In Lecce you'll be playing at the "Statodellarte Festival", together with Gregory Hutchinson and Anders Christensen. Is this a trio that will carry forward new projects in the future?

They're both musicians I'd already worked with individually, but never together. For this date we've put together a set list from my repertoire that I think lends itself well to being performed with them; I hope it can be a space for us to really connect. Anders is an exceptional Danish bassist who's played with some huge artists (Paul Motian, Tomasz Stanko and many others); he's also a dear friend and one of the most sincere musicians I know. His playing is authentic, he never tries to prove anything. Gregory is, of course, one of the drum masters of our time; he's originally from Brooklyn, but has lived in Rome for many years. We'd played together in Kurt Rosenwinkel's band and in Dayna Stephens' group, but we never had the chance to focus on my music. We share an intuitive, special bond, and I can't wait to discover what we can create together in this trio. 

In 2025 you released a new song, "Parks Lope", and contributed to Dayna Stephens' album "Hopium". What's next? Can we expect a "Little Big IV"?

The main piece of news is that my new album comes out on November 7th. It's called "By All Means", and I made it with my new acoustic quartet, featuring Ben Street on bass, Billy Hart on drums and Ben Solomon on tenor sax. In many ways it's a proper jazz album, my first in a long time. It's very much in line with tradition, and it brings together a set of songs I'd been developing for years. We recorded it right after a special night at the Village Vanguard, when the chemistry of the group was tangible, and I think that energy carried over into the record. This album explores a harmonic world that's very important to me, romantic and lush, and I'm grateful I got to explore it with musicians I love and respect enormously. At the same time, the fourth Little Big album is on the horizon. We're slowly shaping a new musical universe and we plan to record it next May, so it can come out in 2027. There's a lot going on, and I feel lucky to keep creating music in different directions and with such inspiring collaborators.

(November 2, 2025)

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