Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Trumpeter, Educator Jim Rotondi Dies at 61
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Keyboardist Aaron Parks, bassist David “DJ” Ginyard, guitarist Greg Tuohey and drummer Tommy Crane collaborated on Little Big.
(Photo: Steve Sussman)Parks parsed the respective thought processes that generated Little Big and Find The Way. “With Little Big, I had a clear vision and wanted to recruit people who are also interested in that vision, who can bring it into even clearer focus with their own elements,” he said. “With the trio, it’s the opposite—the idea was really about surrender—not to impose my will. I said as little as possible to Ben and Billy about how I conceived the music, because my interest was to get their pure and natural reactions to it after we’d done a six-gig tour in the U.K.
“Manfred was in the studio when we recorded [Find The Way], and the first tune was ‘Melquíades,’ which is one of my favorites and wound up being the next-to-last track. Manfred said, ‘Oh, this is nice.’ Then we recorded the second tune, which is ‘Adrift,’ and he said, right away, ‘That’s the first track on the album.’ A few tunes later, we did ‘Song For Sashou,’ and he said, ‘This is track 2.’ I was like, ‘Let Manfred make records the way he does, and see what happens.’ What’s interesting is that the beginning track feels on the verge of falling apart a couple of times, like three people who are starting to find each other. As the record continues, it comes into clearer focus, and by the last two tracks it feels like a breathing unit of one thing.”
Speaking of sequencing, Parks said that he followed pianist Micah Thomas’ suggestion to end Little Big with “Good Morning,” an ascendant rock-out anthem, followed by “Doors Open,” a ruminative miniature. “I was puzzled by how to place them, because they’re both B major and start with a repeated piano figure, and I thought they were too similar to go anywhere near each other,” Parks said. “Micah told me to double down on the similarity and make ‘Doors Open’ feel like a coda.”
This interaction highlights the fact that Parks—who joined Blanchard at 18—has adopted the role of mentor and avatar to more than a few of New York’s best-and-brightest up-and-comers. In this regard, he cited an end-of-September gig at Smalls when he’ll play new music in a quintet that includes tenor saxophonist Maria Grande, trumpeter Marquis Hill and drummer Savannah Harris. Several recent encounters with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, a longtime associate, have sparked thoughts of a possible duo project.
“I’ve got a number of different irons in the fire,” Parks said. “I’m learning so much now as a leader. I’m creating contexts that challenge me to do different things—that put me in situations where I still have to grow. I feel more clear than ever about the different directions I’m interested in pursuing. They’re separate, but they’re all connected at the same time.” DB
Jim Rotondi was acclaimed for his wide, round trumpet tone, remarkable virtuosity and assured swing.
Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Charles Lloyd, seen here at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, makes DownBeat Poll history!
Jul 11, 2024 12:23 PM
The incomparable Charles Lloyd swept the 72nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, becoming the first artist ever to earn…
“Being president of Blue Note has been one of the coolest things that ever happened to me,” Was said. “It’s a gas to serve as one of the caretakers of that legacy.”
Jun 4, 2024 12:21 PM
Sitting with Don Was is a comfortable and unhurried exercise. He may seem slightly reserved at first, but ideas and…
The Century Room in downtown Tucson, Arizona, was born in 2021.
May 21, 2024 12:58 PM
Players got to play. It’s long been a part of jazz history: When there’s a venue vacuum, when there are fewer…
“She reminds me of my childhood and makes we want to cry,” Cécile McLorin Salvant, pictured here with writer Ashley Kahn, said of Dianne Reeves.
Jun 11, 2024 12:31 PM
Italy’s Umbria Jazz Winter is one of those rare annual festivals that not only coincides with a major holiday —…
