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Pianist Aaron Diehl hails from Columbus, Ohio. As a young child, Diehl would tickle the piano keys in his home. He also watched his grandfather, a trombonist and pianist, play at home and at venues around town. At age 7, Diehl's mother enrolled him in classical piano lessons.
Though he occasionally learned a few tunes from his grandfather, he generally considered jazz to be "old people's music." Diehl credits a summer at Interlochen Center for the Arts and hearing another young jazz phenom, Eldar Djangirov, with proving to him that jazz could be relevant for younger players. He gave the music a second listen and began to fall in love with the piano stylings of Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum and Thelonious Monk.
Diehl's jazz skills quickly developed, and he was chosen to perform with the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra. As a junior in high school, he was named Outstanding Soloist in Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition.
The young pianist has recently caught the attention of Wynton Marsalis, who calls Aaron "The Real Diehl." In 2003, Marsalis took Diehl on tour through Europe with his septet. In addition to working with Marsalis, Diehl has worked with such jazz luminaries as Wycliffe Gordon, Benny Golson and Hank Jones
Diehl currently studies with pianist Eric Reed at the Juilliard School -- choosing the venerable conservatory as much for its musical reputation as for its location, near the New York jazz scene. In addition to working with the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra and his own trio (with whom he recently released his first CD, Mozart Jazz) and sitting in with jazz greats, Diehl is the musical director of St. Joseph of the Holy Family Church in Central Harlem.
Check out this week's Piano Jazz Shorts: the Piano Jazz podcast.
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Set List for Aaron Diehl on Piano Jazz:Handful of Keys (Waller)
Single Petal of a Rose (Ellington)
Delaunay's Dilemma (J. Lewis)
Afternoon In Paris (J. Lewis)
Bud on Bach (Powell)
One Morning in May (Carmichael, Parish)
B# Blues (Diehl, McPartland)
Though he occasionally learned a few tunes from his grandfather, he generally considered jazz to be "old people's music." Diehl credits a summer at Interlochen Center for the Arts and hearing another young jazz phenom, Eldar Djangirov, with proving to him that jazz could be relevant for younger players. He gave the music a second listen and began to fall in love with the piano stylings of Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum and Thelonious Monk.
Diehl's jazz skills quickly developed, and he was chosen to perform with the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra. As a junior in high school, he was named Outstanding Soloist in Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition.
The young pianist has recently caught the attention of Wynton Marsalis, who calls Aaron "The Real Diehl." In 2003, Marsalis took Diehl on tour through Europe with his septet. In addition to working with Marsalis, Diehl has worked with such jazz luminaries as Wycliffe Gordon, Benny Golson and Hank Jones
Diehl currently studies with pianist Eric Reed at the Juilliard School -- choosing the venerable conservatory as much for its musical reputation as for its location, near the New York jazz scene. In addition to working with the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra and his own trio (with whom he recently released his first CD, Mozart Jazz) and sitting in with jazz greats, Diehl is the musical director of St. Joseph of the Holy Family Church in Central Harlem.
Check out this week's Piano Jazz Shorts: the Piano Jazz podcast.
Subscribe!
Set List for Aaron Diehl on Piano Jazz: