Solid Colors: Piano Solos

Story's remarkable 1983 debut is the intellectual sister of Winston's December--a discursive series of solo piano improvisations that draw on the rich jazz harmony of pioneers like Bill Evans, Story's acknowledged chief inspiration. Yet Colors is almost minimalist next to Evans's more densely textured works--a spacious blend of polychords, breezy runs, and finely timed sustenutos, with an accessible spirit and memorable melodies--like the uplifting figure she plays over a simple descending bassline in "Hymn," or the indelible major-key main theme of "Things with Wings." More economical than Keith Jarrett, more florid and changeable than Winston, Story finds a compelling middle ground here between jazz harmony and classical technique, outside improv and sturdy songcraft, complex performance and inner stillness. --James Rotondi