Since his debut release on Mack Avenue Records in 2013, pianist-composer Aaron Diehl has mystified listeners with his layered artistry. He reaches into expansion. At once temporal and ethereal — deliberate in touch and texture — his expression transforms the piano into an orchestral vessel in the spirit of beloved predecessors Ahmad Jamal, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum and Jelly Roll Morton. Moment to moment, he considers what instrument he’s moved to evoke. “This is a singular voice here, but maybe this section is a saxophone soli, or this piece here are high winds or low brass in the bass,” says the Steinway artist, describing his concept on the bandstand.
Program:
Keith Jarrett arr. Michael P. Atkinson Suite from Book of Ways, featuring Aaron Diehl, piano WORLD PREMIERE
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60
Michael Schachter New Work / Rhapsody, featuring Aaron Diehl, piano WORLD PREMIERE
George Gershwin arr. Michael P. Atkinson Rhapsody in Blue, featuring Aaron Diehl, piano
Critically acclaimed pianist/composer Aaron Diehl's penchant for the past influencing the future has come full circle with his fully realized suite of Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite - the first fully-fledged professional recording of this incredible music.
SEE album detailsDiehl joins The Knights for a pair of works that explore it best, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Williams’ Zodiac Suite