Volume Two

When players of this rank gather for what pianist Aaron Parks calls an impromptu recording session, the result is likely to be well beyond what those words imply. As if the marvelous *Volume One* weren’t enough, *Volume Two* comes along to shine more light on these artists’ gifts and their long-intertwined histories. Again, the program consists of trio members’ originals, one standard (“Body and Soul”), and a modern piece by a departed master (“Montara” by Bobby Hutcherson). “See, See” and “Cartoon Element” are by Parks, the latter (an anagram of Ornette Coleman) previously recorded on Dayna Stephens’ 2012 release, *Today Is Tomorrow*. “Lunar,” by Matt Brewer, first appeared on the bassist’s *Unspoken* from 2016. Drummer Eric Harland’s “Transform” is a tour de force from Terence Blanchard’s 2003 album *Bounce*, and what it loses in anthemic power for lack of horns, it gains in terms of intimacy and explorative intrigue. Parks played on all those earlier versions; his revisitations here speak not only to his continual growth, but also the material’s timelessness.