Home » Jazz Musicians » Kevin Diehl

Kevin Diehl

Kevin Diehl is a musician/composer whose work centers on extending traditional folk forms to modern contexts. He has immersed himself modern compositions rooted in folk forms, yoruba cultural music, american jazz, Afro Cuban spiritual and secular forms, and abstract forms.

He was profoundly influenced by diverse innovators: from 80's New York loft scene's Air & Sam Rivers, to electronica's Brian Eno and the Orb, to avant garde modern composers Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, Karlheinz Stockausen, and minimalist Morton Feldman, to traditional Afro Cuban folk performers Papo Angarica and Alfredo Coyoute Videax.

Kevin Leads and ensemble which realizes all of these influences. Combining free jazz with Afro-Cuban percussion and electronica, Kevin's Sonic Liberation Front has forged an incredible sound assemblage — one that has sailed to new levels on their latest CD release, "Change Over Time." While others simply talk of combining the ancient with the futuristic, SLF have done so. More than any other band on the scene today, SLF is continuing on the paths of Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman, and Art Ensemble of Chicago — new dimensions of folk art forms of tomorrow.

Kevin Diehl, a student of innovative composer/drummer Sunny Murray, and Chuckie Joseph, a Yoruban cultural scholar. Kevin performs in the Cuban Lukumi cultural ensemble called "Mewa" which is lead by Chuckie Joseph.

Tags

Album Review

Oliver Lake: Justice

Read "Justice" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro


Il sottotitolo dell'album parla di The Vocal Works of Oliver Lake ad opera della somma di due gruppi gemelli. In realtà questo prezioso lavoro contiene ben di più: una visione cameristica della musica da parte del grande sassofonista, fresco ottantenne, con i colori di quell'approccio al mondo dei suoni, ma attraverso una visione al tempo stesso eloquentemente calata in tutto l'universo nero (ci sono qua e là accenti funkeggianti, così cari a Oliver Lake, interventi tenoristici anche ruvidi, e svariati ...

Read more articles
"Ludicrously superb" — Ben Watson, The Wire

"Number 1 jazz album of 2004." — Tom Hull, Village Voice

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Justice

High Two Recordings
2022

buy

Moon Rust Red Streets

High Two Recordings
2021

buy

Bombogenic -...

High Two Recordings
2016

buy

Jetway Confidential

High Two Recordings
2012

buy

Sonic Liberation...

High Two Recordings
2011

buy

Change Over Time

High Two Recordings
2006

buy

Change Over Time

From: Change Over Time
By Kevin Diehl

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.