{"id":737,"date":"2020-05-03T17:28:23","date_gmt":"2020-05-03T22:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=737"},"modified":"2021-06-24T16:52:28","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T21:52:28","slug":"review-aaron-parks-little-big-ii-dreams-of-a-mechanical-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-aaron-parks-little-big-ii-dreams-of-a-mechanical-man\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Aaron Parks&#8217; &#8216;Little Big II: Dreams of a Mechanical Man&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In ancient Greek mythological lore, Hephaestus, the god of technology, created a giant bronze automaton named Talos who was powered by ichor, the blood of the gods. It was Talos&#8217; job to protect the island of Crete from invaders by throwing boulders at incoming ships and crushing anyone who washed ashore. He was programmed to complete his tasks day after day with no variation. The sorceress Madea later promised him immortality in exchange for removing a bolt from his ankle. This ultimately proved to be his downfall as it caused him to leak ichor and collapse. The story showcases a society&#8217;s thoughts on the intersection of logic and emotion;&nbsp; between function and feeling. Much has changed in the almost three millennia since the story&#8217;s first telling, as artificial intelligence has significantly shifted from science fiction to technical reality. However, humanity is still fascinated by these issues and they also largely guide Aaron Parks\u2019 <em>Little Big II: Dreams of a Mechanical Man<\/em> (Ropeadope, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_vVTA-E3G8bQ\"><div id=\"lyte_vVTA-E3G8bQ\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/vVTA-E3G8bQ\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/vVTA-E3G8bQ\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/vVTA-E3G8bQ\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>The album itself adopts its title not from any of the other countless robotic characters who have existed throughout literature but instead from the teachings of philosopher G.I. Gurdjieff who believed that mankind lives in a state of hypnotic \u201cwaking sleep.\u201d Although this views mankind in the automated role rather than discussing a literal machine, the underlying concepts remain the same. In the pianist\u2019s own words, the group is \u201cgoing for and, not or. Structure and freedom. Restraint and abandon. The idea is for this band to simultaneously feel like a well-oiled machine and a scrappy crew of improvisers.\u201d Generally, such order is provided by a consistent beat and repetitive melodic motif.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The beginning of \u201cFriendo\u201d relies on the heavy cycling of a catchy piano theme undergirded by a fairly constant rhythm. Upon initial approach, these aspects seem to predominate the track. However, repeat listening reveals subtle adjustments, changes, and deviations suggesting that even in the comfort of an organized structure individualized creativity lurk beneath. Half-way through the track, these sounds come to the fore as the bass and guitar begin to emerge to present a different perspective.&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure><iframe src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=3148505931\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/track=4135600674\/transparent=true\/\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, \u201cThe Shadow &amp; The Self\u201d starts as a slow and languid ballad guided by the rhythm of a timepiece or the steady turning of gears, emphasizing a systematic regularity. Gradually, it disconnects from this beat as it picks up speed before launching into an otherworldy sounding keyboard solo. By the end, it returns to whence it came. The piece seems to represent a robotic character who started on a pre-programmed route, at some point became self-conscious, but then needed to be reprogrammed into this original role. By \u201cThe Storyteller\u201d, the band suggests even the drumline isn\u2019t as confined as originally suggested as it ostensibly drifts from its preset method.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Individualism additionally emerges in the album\u2019s choice not to follow coded limits on musical style. The significant use of Tommy Crane\u2019s repeated drum rhythms builds on a historical antecedent in hip hop. On \u201cMy Mistake\u201d Greg Tuohey evokes a Frisell-like Americana influenced twinge while the remainder of the song a child of the blues, further emphasizing the similarities of the two. Elsewhere, his solos exhibit an indie rock influence. Throughout, Parks walk a fine-line between what most would identify as jazz or electronica. The quartet naturally combines these influences, rendering it delightfully difficult to isolate one form or another. It all fits the leader\u2019s stated goal of lulling his listeners \u201cinto a trance where you think you know where you\u2019re going, and then take you somewhere unexpected, almost without realizing how you got there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure><iframe src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=3148505931\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/track=3869488130\/transparent=true\/\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>While a sequel to <em>Little Big <\/em>(Ropeadope, 2018), itself the spiritual heir to <em>Invisible Cinema<\/em> (Blue Note, 2008), the album is not a mere copycat of either. It forges a unique path in contemporary music and Parks\u2019 discography. Perhaps the most notable deviation from its immediately preceding release is its adoption of more extended solos. Although seemingly improvised and individualized, they also largely further the movement of the ensemble as a unified whole.&nbsp; <em>Dreams of a Mechanical Man <\/em>is a fresh look into the interplay of sentiment and reason and a reminder that humanity must delicately balance the two. Always a welcome message, it takes on a newfound relevance in an era in which people are increasingly physically, socially, and emotionally distant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/ropeadope.lnk.to\/Solace\">L<\/a><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/ropeadope.lnk.to\/Solace\"><em>ittle Big II: Dreams of a Mechanical Man <\/em>is now available on Ropeadope Records. <\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2NDWZEN\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow\">Or, if you would like to both purchase the album and help our site offset its operating costs, you can buy it from our Amazon affiliate store.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tracklist: 1. Attention, Earthlings; 2. Here; 3. Solace; 4. Friends; 5. Is Anything Okay?; 6. The Shadow &amp; The Self; 7. The Storyteller; 8. Dreams of a Mechanical Man; 9. My Mistake; 10. The Ongoing Pulse of Isness; 11. Where Now?; 12. Unknown<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Personnel: Aaron Parks (piano, synthesizers, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, celeste, vibraphone, glockenspiel, chimes, voice), Greg Tuohey (guitar), David Ginyard, Jr. (Bass), Tommy Crane (Drums, Percussion).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In ancient Greek mythological lore, Hephaestus, the god of technology, created a giant bronze automaton named Talos who was powered by ichor, the blood of the gods. It was Talos&#8217; job to protect the island of Crete from invaders by throwing boulders at incoming ships and crushing anyone who washed ashore. He was programmed to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":743,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"iawp_total_views":49,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[80,460,461,459,455,456,454,458,462,451,452,453,5,463,457,464],"class_list":["post-737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews","tag-aaron-parks","tag-andy-taub","tag-brooklyn-recording","tag-chris-taylor","tag-david-ginyard","tag-david-ginyard-jr","tag-greg-tuohey","tag-invisible-cinema","tag-joe-laporta","tag-little-big-2","tag-little-big-2-dreams-of-a-mechanical-man","tag-little-big-ii-dreams-of-a-mechanical-man","tag-ropeadope","tag-steling-sound","tag-tommy-crane","tag-tommy-hawk-wilson"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/BW.P-ROOF.3.18.APARKS-001.jpg?fit=1000%2C697&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peRkRR-bT","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9799,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/aaron-parks-little-big-iii\/","url_meta":{"origin":737,"position":0},"title":"Beautiful Imperfections:  A Conversation with Aaron Parks on \u2018Little Big III\u2019","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"November 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"As artificial intelligence increasingly disrupts our ordinary lives, there is an ongoing concern about how the new technology will impact music. In an industry in which its chief creators are already economically suppressed, it is all too easy to envision a future in which algorithms supplant artists. 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Insufficient attention to detail or excessive or inordinate amounts of particular ingredients potentially create a bland or inedible product. Masterful creation requires a background on how to best use materials and a desire to mix them in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Michael Olatuja","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/olatuja-bts-04-2-60.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/olatuja-bts-04-2-60.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/olatuja-bts-04-2-60.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/olatuja-bts-04-2-60.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/olatuja-bts-04-2-60.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11138,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-glover-memories-dreams-reflections\/","url_meta":{"origin":737,"position":2},"title":"Review: Nicole Glover\u2019s \u2018Memories, Dreams, Reflections\u2019","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"August 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Portland, Oregon native and current NYC resident, tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover may be best known as a member of the all-female jazz supergroup Artemis. Or possibly as a member of Christian McBride\u2019s Ursa Major. But she is also a bandleader, having recently released her third album as a leader -\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0881.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0881.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0881.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0881.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11347,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/binney-crane-the-isle\/","url_meta":{"origin":737,"position":3},"title":"La Belle Ville: A Conversation with David Binney and Tommy Crane on \u2018The Isle\u2019","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"November 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Music has always pulsed through Montr\u00e9al\u2019s DNA, from its origins to the present. Legend tells that when the city's founder, Paul de Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve, battled loneliness in the then-frontier outpost by picking up a lute. Seventeenth-century missionaries spread faith through the territory by relying upon choral singing and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1723.jpg?fit=1186%2C790&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1723.jpg?fit=1186%2C790&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1723.jpg?fit=1186%2C790&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1723.jpg?fit=1186%2C790&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1723.jpg?fit=1186%2C790&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4519,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/undercurrent-laswell-ivarsson-ii\/","url_meta":{"origin":737,"position":4},"title":"Undercurrent: A Conversation with Ulf Ivarsson and Bill Laswell (Part Two)","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"May 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"We continue our conversation with bassists Ulf Ivarsson and Bill Laswell (read Part One here) with a further discussion of their new album Nammu (Ropeadope, 2022). We also cover Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, turntablists, and the concept of genre. PostGenre: Ulf, how did you write the parts for Nammu?\u00a0 Ulf\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Nammu-21.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Nammu-21.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Nammu-21.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Nammu-21.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/kassa-overalls-i-think-im-good-album-reviewed\/","url_meta":{"origin":737,"position":5},"title":"Review: Kassa Overall\u2019s \u2018I THINK I\u2019M GOOD\u2019","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"February 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The human brain is incredibly powerful. It controls every function of our bodies, allows us to reason, and permits us to both create and appreciate art. To do so, it uses 100 billion neurons, each of which fires around 200 times every second. Given its necessary complexity, it should come\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kassa Overall","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5eba32e3-kassa-overall-1.png?fit=1000%2C563&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5eba32e3-kassa-overall-1.png?fit=1000%2C563&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5eba32e3-kassa-overall-1.png?fit=1000%2C563&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/5eba32e3-kassa-overall-1.png?fit=1000%2C563&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=737"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2844,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/737\/revisions\/2844"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}