Aaron Diehl is always a welcome guest in Hamburg. Equally at home in jazz and classical music, he has appeared at the Elbphilharmonie alongside Cécile McLorin Salvant and Tyshawn Sorey and took part in a piano recital featuring all the sonatas of the American minimalist Philip Glass, which he premiered in New York in 2014 in the composer’s presence. Now the pianist from Columbus, Ohio returns to the Laeiszhalle with his own jazz trio.
With this ensemble, too, Diehl continually redefines the boundaries between jazz and classical music, »elegantly combining the improvisational spirit of jazz with the compositional subtleties of the Western classical tradition« (DownBeat magazine). Diehl likes to compare his music with his other great passion, flying: there, too, certain rules must be observed, and take-off and landing require particular focus; in between, however, there is space to relax and enjoy complete freedom.
With his full-bodied, orchestral yet lyrical style, Aaron Diehl follows in the footsteps of artists such as Ahmad Jamal, Erroll Garner and Art Tatum. In 2002, at the age of 16, he took part in a competition at New York’s renowned »Jazz at Lincoln Center«, where the influential jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis heard him perform and immediately engaged him for a European tour. Since then, Diehl has performed around the world, combining »traditional jazz sounds with a sophisticated contemporary touch« (The Guardian).
PERFORMERS
Aaron Diehl Trio jazz ensemble
Aaron Diehl piano
David Wong bass
Aaron Kimmel drums
