Pianist
Aaron Diehl breathes new life into pianist
Mary Lou Williams' criminally underappreciated extended work on 2023's
Zodiac Suite. A massively gifted and influential performer,
Williams transformed from a stride player and big band arranger in the '20s and '30s to a bebop modernist by the '40s and '50s. Along the way, she incorporated elements of classical and gospel into sound and brought many of her musical concepts to fruition with
Zodiac Suite. A multi-part work inspired by the astrological signs of the zodiac, the suite also found her paying homage to some of her closest musical friends with songs dedicated to and aligning with the star signs of artists like
Thelonious Monk,
Duke Ellington, and
Billie Holiday, among others. While she recorded the suite with her trio in 1945 and performed it with orchestra around the same time at Carnegie Hall, she never saw the composition fully realized on record. Working with producer
Eric Jacobsen,
Diehl (a virtuoso pianist in his own right) has taken
Williams' original score for
Zodiac Suite and expanded it, bringing to fruition the orchestral nature of the composition that
Williams initially intended. Helping him achieve this is the experimental New York string collective
the Knights Orchestra, whose broad-minded jazz and classical leanings are a perfect fit for
Williams' ideas. Together, they craft gorgeously rendered versions of
Williams songs that stray little from her original 1940's style, but with a crisp layer of modern fidelity and cutting edge musicianship. Joining
Diehl and
the Knights are several special guests, including trumpeter
Brandon Lee, who adds his warm tone to "Virgo" and "Libra." Similarly, clarinetist
Evan Christopher jumps on board for the kinetic,
Raymond Scott-esque city rhythms of "Gemini." Elsewhere, there are equally vibrant appearances by saxophonists
Nicole Glover and
Mikaela Bennett. Many of
Williams' compositions have a cinematic quality, as if they had been composed for a film like Disney's
Fantasia. There's a narrative feeling to many of the tracks, including the opening "Aries" (the first sign of the zodiac, dedicated
Ben Webster and
Billie Holiday) with its moody flute and strings intro and swinging, dancerly mid-section evoking a mercurial, mutative origin for the rest of the signs to come. With the ambitious orchestral nature of the album, it's easy to lose focus of
Diehl's immense contributions in adapting
Williams' work. Not only does he play with a startling clarity, mixing classical technique with a swinging jazz lyricism throughout, but his passion and respect for
Williams is palpable throughout.
Zodiac Suite is a stunningly realized production that works both as a testament to
Williams' enduring legacy and showcase for Diehl's ability to revitalize an overlooked gem from jazz history for a modern audience. ~ Matt Collar
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