Diehl grew up in a nurturing musical environment in the
King-Lincoln Bronzeville neighborhood of
Columbus, Ohio. His grandfather, pianist/trombonist Arthur Baskerville, was one of his first influences. Diehl would eventually become the organist at his family's
Black Catholic church,
St. Dominic's. Diehl began studying classically at age 7 and discovered his passion for jazz music when attending
Interlochen Summer Camp. There, he met piano prodigy
Eldar Djangirov, who made a lasting impression on Diehl through his enthusiasm for
Oscar Peterson and
Art Tatum. In 2002, Diehl was a finalist in
Jazz at Lincoln Center's
Essentially Ellington competition, where he was awarded "Outstanding Soloist". The following year, he was invited to tour with the
Wynton Marsalis Septet on their European tour. A 2007 graduate of the
Juilliard School, he studied with
Kenny Barron,
Oxana Yablonskaya and
Eric Reed. Diehl released his first live album in 2009, a solo concert recorded at the Caramoor Festival. In 2010,
Live at the Players featured two of his trios: David Wong and Paul Sikivie (bass), and
Quincy Davis and
Lawrence Leathers (drums). ''The Bespoke Man's Narrative'' (2013), Diehl's debut album on Mack Avenue Records, reached No. 1 on the
JazzWeek Jazz Chart and is described as "honest music that invites you back in to discover new wonders with each listening." Diehl's 2015 album
Space, Time, Continuum featured
Benny Golson and
Joe Temperley. Diehl has toured with vocalist
Cécile McLorin Salvant. Others he has performed with include:
Warren Wolf,
Lew Tabackin,
Matt Wilson,
Wycliffe Gordon, the
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the
New World Symphony. ==Personal life==