Craig Taborn Quartet/Aaron Parks Trio
This night is a double bill with two of the most progressive and brilliant pianists on the scene. Craig Taborn established himself as a modern master through five explorative releases, including his lauded 2012 ECM trio album Chants, and pivotal sideman roles with Chris Potter, Roscoe Mitchell, James Carter, and David Binney. An artist as comfortable in straight-ahead situations as the furthest fringes of the avant-garde, Taborn has always built ensembles that are equally versatile and eclectic. This new band, featuring Bad Plus drummer Dave King, is his most audacious yet. A prodigious artist who entered the prestigious Manhattan School of Music at 16, Aaron Parks is best known for his work with trumpeter Terence Blanchard, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, the Dave Holland Overtone Quartet, and as part of the all-star quartet James Farm with Joshua Redman, SFJAZZ Collective bassist Matt Penman and drummer Eric Harland. Parks’ evocative 2008 Blue Note quartet session Invisible Cinema helped put the pianist on the map as a serious composer and bandleader, and his new trio recording for ECM, Find the Way, features Parks’ supercharged new band including bassist Ben Street and veteran drummer Billy Hart.
Cost: $30-$65