Aaron Diehl (; born September 22, 1985) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist and composer. He was the 2014

Monterey Jazz Festival The Monterey Jazz Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Monterey, California, United States. It debuted on October 3, 1958, championed by Dave Brubeck and co-founded by jazz and popular music critic Ralph J. Gleason and jazz ...

Commission Artist and composed ''Three Streams of Expression'', dedicated to pianist and composer

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American civil rights activist and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

. He was the 2013 recipient of the

Jazz Journalists Association The Jazz Journalists Association (JJA), founded in 1987, is an international organization of all types of media professionals who document, promulgate, or appreciate jazz. As of 2016, it has approximately 250 members, including professional journa ...

Award for Up-And-Coming Artist, the 2012 Prix du Jazz Classique recipient for his album ''Live at the Players'' from the

Académie du Jazz The Académie du jazz (English: Jazz Academy) is a non-profit French association created in 1954, which annually awards the best artists and the best musical productions in the world of jazz. The founding president was violinist André Hodeir follow ...

, and was the winner of the 2011 Cole Porter Fellowship from the

American Piano Awards American Piano Awards is a non-profit performing arts organization based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization's goal is to "discover, promote, and advance" the careers of young American pianists. The organization hosts a biennial competition ...

Biography

Diehl grew up in a nurturing musical environment in the

King-Lincoln Bronzeville King-Lincoln Bronzeville is a historically African American neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. Originally known as Bronzeville by the residents of the community, it was renamed the King-Lincoln District by Mayor Michael B. Coleman's administration ...

neighborhood of

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

. His grandfather, pianist/trombonist Arthur Baskerville, was one of his first influences. Diehl would eventually become the pianist at his family's Black Catholic church, St. Dominic's. Diehl began studying classically at age 7 and discovered his passion for jazz music when attending

Interlochen Interlochen ( ') is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the population was 694, up from 583 at the 2010 census. The community is located w ...

Summer Camp. There, he met piano prodigy Eldar Djangirov, who made a lasting impression on Diehl through his enthusiasm for

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz piano, jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordin ...

and

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever. From early in his career, fellow musicians acclaimed Tatum's technical ability as extraordinary. Tatum a ...

. In 2002, Diehl was a finalist in

Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz at Lincoln Center is an organization based in New York City. Part of Lincoln Center, the organization was founded in 1987 and opened at Time Warner Center (now Deutsche Bank Center) in October 2004. The organization seeks to “represent th ...

Essentially Ellington The Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival is an annual high school jazz festival and competition that takes place every May at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. The festival is aimed at encouraging young musician ...

competition, where he was awarded "Outstanding Soloist". The following year, he was invited to tour with the

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, and music instructor, who is currently the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has been active in promoting classical and jazz music, often to young ...

Septet on their European tour. A 2007 graduate of the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...

, he studied with

Kenny Barron Kenneth Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist and composer who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Early life ...

Oxana Yablonskaya Oxana Yablonskaya (; born December 6, 1938) is a Soviet, American, and Israeli pianist who has had an active international performance career since the early 1960s. She began her career in the USSR and, although winning several important compet ...

and Eric Reed. Diehl released his first live album in 2009, a solo concert recorded at the Caramoor Festival. In 2010, ''Live at the Players'' featured two of his trios: David Wong and Paul Sikivie (bass), and Quincy Davis and

Lawrence Leathers Lawrence "Lo" Leathers (November 23, 1981 – June 2, 2019) was an American jazz drummer who played on two of Cécile McLorin Salvant's albums that have won Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Biography Leathers was born in Lansing, M ...

(drums). ''The Bespoke Man’s Narrative'' (2013), Diehl’s debut album on Mack Avenue Records, reached No.1 on the ''JazzWeek'' Jazz Chart and is described as "honest music that invites you back in to discover new wonders with each listening." Diehl's 2015 album ''Space, Time, Continuum'' featured

Benny Golson Benny Golson (January 25, 1929 – September 21, 2024) was an American bebop and hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a p ...

and

Joe Temperley Joe Temperley (20 September 1929 – 11 May 2016) was a Scottish jazz saxophonist. He performed with various instruments, but was most associated with the baritone saxophone, soprano saxophone, and bass clarinet. Life Temperley was born in Cowd ...

. Diehl has toured with vocalist

Cécile McLorin Salvant Cécile McLorin Salvant (born August 28, 1989)Fred Kaplan (journalist), Kaplan, Fred"Cécile McLorin Salvant's Timeless Jazz" ''The New Yorker'', May 22, 2017. is a French-American jazz vocalist. Salvant is one of the most highly regarded jazz voc ...

. Others he has performed with include: Warren Wolf,

Lew Tabackin Lewis Barry Tabackin (born March 26, 1940) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and flutist. He is married to pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi with whom he has co-led large ensembles since the 1970s. Biography Tabackin started learning flute at age 1 ...

, Matt Wilson,

Wycliffe Gordon Wycliffe A. Gordon (born May 29, 1967) is an American jazz trombonist, arranger, composer, band leader, and music educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. Gordon also sings and plays didgeridoo, trumpet, soprano trombone, tuba, and piano ...

, the

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (also known as the JLCO) is an American big band and jazz orchestra led by trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. The orchestra is part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, a performing arts organization in New York City. History ...

and the

New World Symphony New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 19 ...

Personal life

Diehl lives in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

and is a licensed pilot. He is a graduate of St. Charles Preparatory School. Diehl is Catholic.

Discography

As leader

Compilations

* 2013 - ''Live From The Detroit Jazz Festival - 2013'' (Mack Avenue) * 2014 - ''It's Christmas on Mack Avenue'' (Mack Avenue)

References

External links

Official websiteMac Avenue Artist Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diehl, Aaron 1985 births Living people 21st-century Roman Catholics American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists Catholics from Ohio Musicians from Columbus, Ohio Jazz musicians from Ohio 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American male musicians Mack Avenue Records artists African-American Catholics American Roman Catholics 21st-century African-American musicians