By All Means

アーロン・パークス、ブルーノート3作目がリリース!

アーロン・パークスのブルーノート3枚目となる本作では、ベン・ストリート(b)、ビリー・ハート(ds)とのトリオ編成に加え、フロントにベン・ソロモン(ts)を迎えた新たなカルテットで、これまでにない色彩のパレットを探求するサウンドへと進化を遂げている。ベン・ストリートとの共同プロデュースとなり、ヴィレッジ・ヴァンガードでのライヴをきっかけに急速に実現したとのこと。

アーロン、ベン・ストリート、ビリー・ハートの3人は2017年にECMからリリースした『ファインド・ザ・ウェイ』で共演していたが、今回そのトリオと再びプレイしたいというアーロンの願いが叶ったプロジェクトとなっている。
楽曲は全て、比類のない美しさを持つことで評価の高いアーロンによる書き下ろしの新曲で、今回も妻と息子への深い哀愁を帯びたトラックなどが収録されている。

本作について、アーロンは「この作品が過去のアルバムと全く異なるものだとは思っていない。これはジャズの伝統、ブラック・アメリカン・ミュージックの伝統を愛するレコードで、それはノスタルジアや保護ではなく、その系譜や連続性の中で生きるということを意図しているんだ。アルバム・タイトルもそれを意味していて、それは大きな肯定であり、『パーティに参加しよう』という意思表示なんだよ。そして何よりも一緒に演奏すること、曲の中で互いに即興で演奏することの喜びがテーマとなっていて、ただ音楽を愛することについて表現しているんだ」と語っている。

Pianist Aaron Parks returns to Blue Note with By All Means. The quartet includes drummer Billy Hart and bassist Ben Street who, as a trio, recorded 2017s excellent Find the Way on ECM. The newcomer is saxophonist Ben Solomon, best known for his stint with Wallace Roneys band between 2012 and 2017; he joined this group in 2023. Simply put, By All Means is a straight-ahead jazz date. Parks has been pursuing the creation of a body of compositions in his own post-bop vernacular. He did it first with drummer Eric Harland and bassist Matt Brewer on the self-released Volume One and Volume Two in 2022. While each of those albums contained standards and tunes by the trios members, By All Means was composed entirely by the pianist. "A Way" introduces the album with Parks and Solomon in spacious Ellingtonian conversation on the tender, lilting head. Harts brushed, breaking snare and hi-hat flutter in the backdrop as Street joins Parks in framing the melody. Toward the middle, spacier chord voicings come from the pianist, Hart deliciously syncopates, and Street extends into the lower register. Traces of modal dissonance appear and vanish as the band builds this elliptical, luxuriant ballad. "Parks Lope" nods at the hard bop era without going there. The swinging lyricism of the front line is not so much appended as expanded by the rhythm section before the band moves full tilt into fingerpopping modal hard bop (a la the Kind of Blue era). "For Maria Jose," composed for Parks spouse, is a brightly shaded, midtempo ballad with short labyrinthine asides. Solomon is as sensitive as Coltrane in elucidating the lyric, while the pianist paints his changes and delivers a gorgeously illustrative solo. On "Dense Phantasy," Parks delivers a painterly embrace of Bill Evans and Duke Ellington -- combining tenets from both composers/players embraces their lyric gentleness while Solomon offers a sensitive solo. "Anywhere Together" was written by Parks during his teens. Here it consciously evokes mid-60s jazz and the deep influence of saxophonist Wayne Shorter’s post-bop composing. The sly solo by Street is a gem. "Little River," composed for his oldest son, is a swinging lullaby with gorgeous lyricism from Solomon and rich colorful chord voicings from Parks anchored by Streets musicality; Harts song-like snare and hi-hat add just enough foundation for his bandmates to explore a more physical improvisational space. The set closes with "Raincoat," the most understated ballad on the record. Parks offers his melody with sparse grace and unhurried expression. As it develops, Harts crystalline cymbals and tom-toms add just enough weight for Street to frame the lyricism which begins circling outward with each chorus. Solomons intimate, soulful playing recalls Charles Lloyds. Parks was quoted in the albums press release saying, "Its not about nostalgia or preservation. Its about being alive within that lineage, that continuum." His quartet certainly succeeds in that pursuit here. ~ Thom Jurek