Pianist and composer Aaron Parks returns to Blue Note Records—where he released his influential 2008 album Invisible Cinema—with Little Big III, the third studio album from his acclaimed band Little Big featuring guitarist Greg Tuohey, bassist David Ginyard Jr., and drummer Jongkuk Kim. Co-produced by Parks and Don Was, the collective’s concise, accessible writing and vibrant, empathetic playing elevate the band’s powerfully modern, post-genre concept for improvised music in the 21st century. Throughout, the bandmembers’ kinship is palpable. There’s a vitality at play on the record that is extraordinary; somehow, it’s beautiful and raw in equal measure. “While this record feels the most supple and alive,” Parks says, “it also feels like the most focused album Little Big has recorded — the most distilled down to the essence.”