Aaron Diehl Finds the Space Between

Show Notes

Pianist Aaron Diehl joins Backstage Bay Area to discuss the early musical influences that shaped his voice, his deep connection to Mary Lou Williams, and his work bringing her Zodiac Suite back into focus. He also reflects on trio interplay, the role of patience in improvisation, and what makes a room like SFJAZZ Center such a compelling space to perform.

This episode features two tracks: “Scorpio” from Diehl’s recording of Zodiac Suite, and “Polaris” from The Vagabond. Both songs were provided by the artist and are used with permission.

In this episode:

Early influences and musical beginnings in Columbus, Ohio
Discovering the music of Mary Lou Williams
Reconstructing and recording Zodiac Suite with The Knights
The art of listening and empathy in a trio setting
Writing and performing original compositions
What audiences can expect at SFJAZZ

Featured Music:

“Scorpio” — from Zodiac Suite
“Polaris” — from The Vagabond

Live at SFJAZZ
Aaron Diehl performs with bassist David Wong and drummer Aaron Kimmel on Sunday, April 26, 2026, at 7:00 PMat the SFJAZZ Center’s Miner Auditorium in San Francisco.

🎟 Tickets and full details: https://www.sfjazz.org/tickets/

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(333)

Take 6 Still Spreads the Love After Four Decades

Show Notes:Host Steve Roby sits down with Claude McKnight, founding member of the legendary a cappella group Take 6, ahead of their four-night residency at SFJAZZ. With 10 Grammy Awards, 10 Dove Award...

5 Aug 24min

Steven Bernstein’s Gumbo Homecoming

Steven Bernstein, the Berkeley-born trumpeter, composer, and bandleader, joins host Steve Roby for a wide-ranging conversation about five decades of musical exploration, his upcoming SFJAZZ residency,...

2 Jul 37min

John Beasley From Invisible Piano to Unlimited Miles

Pianist, composer, and arranger John Beasley joins host Steve Roby for an in-depth discussion about his extraordinary career, his new album Invisible Piano, and an upcoming all-star Miles Davis centen...

4 Mai 32min

Resilience, Roots, and the Road Ahead: A Conversation with David Weiss

Jazz trumpeter and composer David Weiss joins host Steve Roby for a wide-ranging conversation about a life built on music. From his early days in Queens, where he absorbed hard rock, fusion, and Europ...

30 Apr 51min

Sweden's Queen of Swing Comes to SF Jazz

Show Notes:In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steve Roby sits down with Swedish jazz sensation and multi-instrumentalist Gunhild Carling — a trombonist, trumpeter, flautist, harpist, bagpipe ...

25 Apr 27min

Marcus Shelby Celebrates Miles Davis

Episode SummaryHost Steve Roby sits down with Bay Area bassist, composer, and bandleader Marcus Shelby to discuss his upcoming SF Jazz performance, a tribute to Miles Davis's landmark 1949–50 sessions...

23 Apr 37min

Daniel Ho’s Many Roads to SFJAZZ

Podcast Show Notes:On this episode of Backstage Bay Area, Steve Roby speaks with Daniel Ho, a six-time Grammy-winning musician, composer, producer, and slack key guitarist, ahead of his upcoming appea...

20 Apr 39min