Liz Story - Biography
By J Poet
Pianist and composer Liz Story almost gave up playing piano until the fateful night she saw Bill Evans at the Bottom Line in New York. Inspired by his improvisations, she began studying jazz piano and exploring her own musical voice. The success of her many albums for Windham Hill in the 80s helped establish the label and create a new genre – new age music.
Story was born in San Diego, California and showed a natural affinity for the piano from an early age. She began classical training as a child, and was playing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 11 by the time she was 11. Her family moved to Germany during her teen years, where she studied languages, philosophy, and poetry. When the family moved back to the States, Story continued piano studies at Juilliard and Hunter College. She was planning on being a music librarian or teacher until she heard jazz pianist Bill Evans at the Bottom Line in New York. She spoke to Evans after the gig and told him she wanted to play jazz piano; he recommended lessons with Sanford Gold.
Story moved to the LA area to take graduate music courses at UCLA and studied at the Dick Grove Music Workshops in Studio City. A job playing diner music in a restaurant turned her toward improvisation. The old instrument had no front casing and she stated playing on the fly. Her improvisations slowly became compositions. She recorded several of her tunes and sent them to Windham Hill founder Will Ackerman. He called her when he got the tape and signed her to Windham Hill.
Her first album of solo piano works, Solid Colors (1983 Windham Hill,) was praised for its light, playful blending of jazz, classical and improvisational pop marked by an amazing gift for soothing, ear catching melodies. Unaccountable Effect (1985 Windham Hill) found her collaborating with film music composer and trumpet/synthesizer player Mark Isham, for an album marked by Story’s beautifully flowing melodies and Isham’s understated atmospherics. Jive Records lured her away from Windham hill for Part of Fortune (1986 Novus) where she expanded her sound with a string section and choir and Speechless (1988 Novus), another meditative album of solo piano music.
She returned to Windham Hill for Escape of the Circus Ponies (1991) a solo album that showed her growing mastery of complex harmonies and unexpected chord voicings. My Foolish Heart (1992 Windham Hill) a quiet recording of jazz standards with her husband, stand up bass player Joel DiBartolo, included remarkable interpretations of Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood” and Bill Evans’ “Turn Out the Stars.” It made it to #2 on the New Age Chart. Story’s Christmas album, The Gift (1992 Windham Hill), took a meditative approach blending ancient carols, contemporary songs and liturgical music. DiBartolo added his subtle rhythms to the date. DiBartolo was by her side again on Liz Story (1996 Windham Hill), her second album of jazz standards.
17 Seconds to Anywhere (1998 Windham Hill), Story’s first album of original tunes in almost a decade, was a collection of solo pieces praised for their simplicity and elegance. Welcome Home: The Very Best of Liz Story (1998 Windham Hill) gives a 15 tune overview of her Windham Hill career, with favorites like “Broken Arrow Drive” and “Church of Trees” coupled with standards like “My Foolish Heart.”
Story signed with DMI in 2004 and made Night Sky Essays (2005), 12 new compositions named for the signs of the zodiac including the subtly rhythmic “Leo,” the gently unfolding melodies of “Sagittarius,” and an unexpectedly quiet meditation on “Taurus.” in 2006 she released Pure Liz Story.
