Aaron Diehl’s The Vagabond

First gaining acclaim as the touring pianist for Wynton Marsalis and his Grammy award-winning work alongside vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, Aaron Diehl has emerged as a talented bandleader in his own right over the past decade, showcasing a continued commitment to literate and lyrical playing that straddles the best of classical and acoustic jazz. 2020’s excellent The Vagabond is no exception. Flanked by bassist Paul Sikivie and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, the Columbus-born, Juilliard-bred talent demonstrates a compositional adroitness anchored on deft playing and a smoldering intensity brought about by measured and thoughtful group interchange. Immediately established by the murmuring opener “Polaris,” the trio also impress on highlights like the dramatic “Magnanimous Disguise,” abstract “Kaleidoscope Road” and shrewdly chosen covers like Roland Hanna’s “A Story Often Told, Seldom Heard” that close out the record. Exciting, polished and masterful, for fans of piano-based jazz, this release is not to be missed.

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If you like The Vagabond, check out:

• Ished Tree by Jamael Dean

• Cross Country Tour: 1958-1961 by Ahmad Jamal Trio

• Structuralism By Alfa Mist

• Monk’s Dream by Thelonious Monk

• Dreams and Daggers by Cécile McLorin Salvant