For nearly 60 years, pianist John Lewis has co-led the Modern Jazz Quartet and successfully fused Bach, bop, and the blues into his own brilliant musical conception. He's recorded only twice as a solo pianist, which makes this offering all the more special. Alone at the keyboard, the New Mexico-raised Lewis displays the kind of spare and swinging pianism that recalls the storytelling style that made Count Basie and saxophonist Lester Young famous. Lewis's sly, rollicking version of Sweet Georgia Brown is a superb example of how to swing and embellish without wasting notes, as are his takes on the standards, I'll Remember April, Willow Weep for Me, Cherokee, and Don't Blame Me. Lewis's invigorating improvisation breathes new life into his own compositions. Afternoon in Paris is blessed with an engaging lyrical melody. Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West rings with the cool hues of the blues, while At the Horse Show is an impromptu, fleet-fingered workout. Lewis's Django is moving elegy to guitarist Django Reinhardt, rendered in a mournful, Ravelian mood, and For Ellington is performed in the same saintly and sanctified aural image of Come Sunday and Heaven by this underrated master of African-American piano.