Welcome Home: The Best Of Liz Story

Unlike Peter Kater and Jim Brickman, pianist Liz Story rarely opts for sweet reveries and commercial pop ditties. Her compositions are always shadowed and textured, which doesn't stop her from creating haunting melodies like "Church of Trees" and "Wedding Rain." As its title suggests, this collection spans Story's career, from her first Windham Hill album, Solid Colors, in 1982, up through a piece newly recorded for this CD. Welcome Home reveals Story's range. There's the serene introspection of "Hymn," the riotous calamity of "Broken Arrow Drive," and a couple of flings with jazz standards, "My Foolish Heart" and "My Romance." Jazz is not Story's strong suit, but even here, playing with bassist Joel DiBartolo, Story takes these familiar tunes and makes them her own. --John Diliberto