When pianist Aaron Diehl took over as artistic director of the 92NY’s Jazz in July series, he inherited one of New York's longest-running jazz traditions.
The festival was founded more than forty years ago by the endlessly versatile Dick Hyman, and for nearly two decades it was shaped by pianist Bill Charlap, a master of both the piano and of bringing musicians together in ways audiences might never have imagined.
Now it's Diehl's turn.
This year's festival, Echoes of Miles, celebrates the centennial of Miles Davis while also acknowledging the hundredth birthday of John Coltrane. That's no small assignment. Miles alone contains multitudes: bebop, standards, modal jazz, electric music, young innovators and elder statesmen. And Coltrane's influence runs through so much of the music as well.
Rather than recreate history, Diehl is interested in tracing connections between artists, generations and ideas. He told me, "To have the privilege to be able to curate... basically having somewhat of a blank canvas, exploring all of these different avenues that the music can take us, it's how themes and ideas can be linked to these various artists. But not just that but how artists can be in conversation with each other in ways that people maybe never thought. 'I never would've put this person with that person.'"
Diehl says that idea comes directly from Miles himself.
He said, "Miles Davis had a special skill in identifying musicians and how they might work together.”
Looking at the schedule of Jazz in July, you can see those connections everywhere. Bassist Ron Carter and drummer Billy Hart played with Miles. Bassist John Patitucci carries that lineage through his time playing with Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter. Drummer Gregory Hutchinson's Kind of Now brings a younger generation to Miles Davis’ repertoire. They're very different projects, but they're all part of the same story.
As Diehl sees it, that's because Miles' influence is already woven into the fabric of the music. He explained, "The language of Miles Davis' ensembles are so embedded in our present-day musical vernacular; there's almost no need to force the issue. It's just automatically going to be there."
Looking at the lineup through Diehl's eyes, you see a musical conversation that's been unfolding for generations. Jazz in July: Echoes of Miles, under the artistic direction of Aaron Diehl, runs July 15 through 25 at the 92nd Street Y.
Hear and see my full conversation with Aaron Diehl here.
