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Aaron Diehl & the Knights — Zodiac Suite
(Bandcamp Mack Avenue MAC1201, 2023, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2025-04-09

Zodiac Suite Cover art

After decades of neglect, the musical legacy of Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981) has lately started to get long-overdue notice. She was a child prodigy on the piano, and by the age of six was contributing to the family income by playing parties and other events. She later went on to become a prolific songwriter and composer, and released over a hundred records; her music and arrangements were played by the bands of Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, but in spite of the admiration of fellow musicians (she first played with Ellington at the age of 13), her success never matched that of her peers. One of her major works was Zodiac Suite, written from 1942 to 1945, which blends jazz and classical influences in twelve pieces, one for each sign of the zodiac. The original piano trio recordings of the suite were reissued in 1975 and have been available sporadically since then. The piece was also performed by Williams with an orchestra at Carnegie Hall, but the recordings went missing for many years. Now pianist Aaron Diehl presents an arrangement for his trio with David Wong (bass) and Aaron Kimmel (drums) along with a number of guests on horns and strings; and soprano Mikaela Bennett sings on “Pisces.” While the integration of jazz and blues elements into classical music was quite innovative at the time this music was written, it has of course become relatively commonplace in the years since. While there are some improvised solo parts, there are no sections where a swing rhythm carries on for long — in fact, this music is not suited for social dancing. (The pieces have been used for choreographed works by dance companies numerous times, however.) The harmonies are an interesting blend of blues chords and whole tone scales, reminiscent of some of Ellington’s more “serious” pieces, with influences from Bartók and Stravinsky. But in addition to its historic importance, Williams’ Zodiac Suite is an enjoyable listen, full of surprises and clever twists.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Aaron Diehl

More info
http://aarondiehl.bandcamp.com/album/zodiac-suite

 

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