Aaron Diehl & the Knights Zodiac Suite 180g LP

Tracking Angle Rated 10/10 Music, 9/10 Sound!

"Mary Lou Williams was one of the great composers of the 20th century, albeit highly underrated. It is my hope that this recording gives an insight into her musical ambitions at the time, while also yielding the question of what could have developed under better circumstances. The process of resurrecting this almost forgotten version of The Zodiac Suite has been a long yet rewarding journey. Mary Lou Williams scored this arrangement of the work in 1945. The original was written for her trio and recorded the year prior receiving wide critical acclaim. Unfortunately, the premiere with chamber orchestra was mired by an under-rehearsed ensemble, and a number of music copying errors that contributed to a poorly executed performance. The story goes that Mary was so frustrated by this premiere that she left the Town Hall almost immediately after the concert was over, and never performed this arrangement again in her lifetime. A live recording from that evening reemerged after her death and was released in 1996 as The Complete Town Hall Concert of December 31, 1945. It fully reveals the challenges Mary Lou Williams had in realizing her orchestration of the suite. In some movements she purposefully omits the orchestra altogether, simply covering the parts alone or with her trio." - Aaron Diehl

Chris Muth wanted to use the tapes from the analog mix as the source for mastering the LP, but couldn't obtain them, so had to use the same digital master that he used as the source for the CD. In any case, the sound is excellent—smooth and colorful but also fast and crisp. You could be fooled into thinking it was recorded at a concert hall—the soundstage is wide, deep, the players' positions are palpable without being etch-a-sketch cold. Dynamic range is maneuvered by the orchestra director, Eric Jacobsen's balancing skills, not by any electronic tricks imposed by Whitelock or Muth. The LP is a bit better than the CD—dynamics are subtler, instrumental colors more detailed—but not by a lot.

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.