The soloist who learned to fly
Daily Comfort ZoneDavid Krauss’s latest inrerviewee on Speaking Soundly is the jazz pianist Aaron Diehl, an artist whose roots in Catholic and classical music have fed an phenomenal gift for improvisation.
When not playing, he’s flying aircraft.
‘Performers are used to being in a situation where we react in real time. It’s that same with flying… you have learn how do deal with events under pressure and get the plane safely on the ground.’
Listen here.
He’s phenomenal, solo and with an orchestra. Last time I heard him, my only gripe was over-amplification. He doesn’t need any!
Hopefully better in flight than at the keyboard.
I have often compared the skill of the Blue Angels Navy flying team with the skill of a concert pianist: the timing, the nuances of angles of attack, the gracefulness of the execution of maneuvers with the interplay of pianist and orchestra, or a chamber group.
Another pilot-pianist is Gerhad Oppitz.