Brooklyn-based piano phenom Aaron Diehl will perform at the University of Chicago’s Logan Center tomorrow in a program that examines the Modern Jazz Quartet’s legacy. Vibist Warren Wolf, who is joining Diehl and his trio, will be honoring Milt Jackson’s time in the MJQ.

As is often the case, Amy Iwano, the director of the Logan Center’s jazz series, scheduled a listening session the night before the main event, so this evening Julliard-schooled Diehl took the stage in the Logan Center’s main hall. With about thirty enthusiastic listeners surrounding him, Diehl discussed the MJQ’s significance, with University of Chicago Associate Professor Jennifer Iverson moderating.

The freshly tenured Iverson came prepared, holding an iPad that contained innumerable MJQ tracks. Before they started, when Iverson asked him how he wanted to proceed, Diehl responded, “Informally,” which is exactly how the evening unfolded.

When I entered the hall 45 minutes before the start time, Diehl was at the piano warming up with something that sounded Bach-like to me. He confirmed his strong interest in classical music at the outset of the listening session, but said he does not perform classical music professionally. I am not sure that is entirely true because his recordings do list a number of classical pieces, including compositions by Bach, Philip Glass, Prokofiev, and Ravel. Moreover, three or so years ago, he performed as part of a Philip Glass concert at Mandel Hall on the U. of C. campus.

Throughout the session, Diehl referenced Bach frequently, as well as Gunther Schuller. At one point, Diehl even discussed the acoustical differences between modern pianos and the harpsichords that were so prevalent in Bach’s time. Turns out that the same note played on each instrument has a slightly different frequency as measured in hertz. Diehl, identifying the difference from memory, obviously studied many aspects of music at Juilliard.

His overall focus was on the tension, which is so evident in the MJQ’s playing, between classical music and jazz. Diehl began by noting that the the MJQ’s original members came out of Dizzy Gillespie’s big band from the late Forties, meaning that the MJQ’s roots were in bebop. Yet, pianist John Lewis was a quiet soul, seemingly responsible for the MJQ’s classical bent. Despite what may have been Lewis’ original intentions, he could not contain drummer Connie Kay’s bop yearnings, nor vibist Milt Jackson.

Later in the evening, one audience member who had seen MJQ back in the day provided his lived insight: To paraphrase, when this gentlemen and his friends heard MJQ, they waited for Jackson to enter the flow with his blues thing. Diehl echoed this, noting that Jackson’s playing completely filled the space created by the other musicians, dominating the ensemble. For an example, listen to Bag’s Groove. Yet, Lewis somehow held his own (Django), which was evident when Diehl played a piece by Bach and then a version by the MJQ that had been retitled. At that point, Iverson took the audience back to the classroom, asking what was the difference between the two.

Mid-way through the 75-minute session, the group took on the obvious elephant in the room: Was the MJQ trying to elevate the appeal of jazz by introducing references to classical music? That question obviously brings us to questions of race. During this phase of the discussion, Gunther Schuller’s name came up. He coined the term “Third Stream” during a 1957 lecture at Brandeis University while discussing music that exists at the intersection of jazz and classical music. Can such music rise above traditional labels, or is a new non-referential name required like “Third Stream?” Does the use of the word “Third,” which implies a first and second, undercut the notion of something that reaches escape velocity from its origins? Does it matter? I would suggest than when listening to Diehl, it doesn’t matter. I’ve never been one for labels.

Along the way, we learned a lot of interesting facts. I particularly liked the one about the MJQ’s collective investment acumen. According to Diehl, at its peak, the ensemble played several hundred concerts a year, which meant the venture was not only musically successful, but also a financially remunerative one, causing the members to form an investment fund.

I suspect Diehl is also finding jazz to be a profitable undertaking. And for good reason: After about 55 minutes, he closed the evening with a piece from his new album, The Vagabond. It was a meditative piece with plenty of empty spaces between the notes. Diehl must be trying to keep his costs down by using notes sparingly. He might be the Sonny Rollins of the piano. Rollins has always been known for the power in the spaces he creates between the notes.

But as Columbo would say, “One more thing.” And in this case, the one more thing was the many interactions between Diehl and audience members after the formal part of the evening had concluded. He signed copies of his new CD. Unlike other musicians who sign CDs, you could tell that he put almost as much thought into his signature as he does into his music. Of greater import, he engaged in a variety of discussions with audience members. Some were about technique, with Diehl illustrating his points at the piano. Others were about history, including reminiscences about seeing the MJQ and Milt Jackson in Chicago clubs. And Diehl even gave an interview to an apparent college journalist.

I was packing my cameras away when he asked me how I knew photographer extraordinaire Mark Sheldon. I told him that Mark’s significant other, Lin, had been instrumental. I then said I thought they must be in Portland for the festival, and how lucky Mark was to be able to see and photograph the great Terry Riley. Somewhat surprisingly, particularly because Diehl’s past intersections with Glass, Diehl was unfamiliar with Riley. I told Diehl he should find a copy of A Rainbow in Curved Air. I have no doubt that he has already listened to it. Diehl strikes me as someone with unlimited curiosity, which means he will be around for years to come.

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