LIZ STORY BIOGRAPHY
A native of California, Liz began her musical training as a young child, mastering Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 11 by the age of 11. When her family moved to Germany during her teens, she added languages, philosophy, and poetry to her studies.
On her return to the United States, she continued her formal piano studies at the Juilliard School of Music and also enrolled at Hunter College. After hearing the jazz pianist, Bill Evans, one night at the Bottom Line in New York City, she decided to learn jazz piano and became a student of Sanford Gold, whom Evans recommended.
Later, after moving back to Southern California, she studied at the Dick Grove Music Workshops in Studio City. During her studies, she took a job playing piano in a restaurant and was suddenly thrust into improvisations when she discovered that the piano she was to perform on had no stand for her sheet music. Over several months, these improvisations developed into compositions.
When Windham Hill's founder, Will Ackerman, heard a tape of her compositions developed from her improvisations, he signed her to record her debut album in 1983, “Solid Colors”. Liz has since recorded:
* Unaccountable Effect, 1985
* Part of Fortune, 1988
* Speechless, 1989
* Escape of the Circus Ponies, 1990
* My Foolish Heart, 1992 (reissued 2009 by Valley Entertainment)
* The Gift, 1994
* Liz Story, 1996
* 17 Seconds to Anywhere, 1998
* Welcome Home: The Very Best of Liz Story, 2001
* Night Sky Essays, 2005
* Pure Liz Story, 2006
Liz Story recently signed with DMI after recording a number of best-selling, critically acclaimed albums for Windham Hill and RCA Records. Those releases highlighted her classical piano background, fused with a wide range of styles embracing jazz, folk, pop and impressionistic music.
On her return to the United States, she continued her formal piano studies at the Juilliard School of Music and also enrolled at Hunter College. After hearing the jazz pianist, Bill Evans, one night at the Bottom Line in New York City, she decided to learn jazz piano and became a student of Sanford Gold, whom Evans recommended.
Later, after moving back to Southern California, she studied at the Dick Grove Music Workshops in Studio City. During her studies, she took a job playing piano in a restaurant and was suddenly thrust into improvisations when she discovered that the piano she was to perform on had no stand for her sheet music. Over several months, these improvisations developed into compositions.
When Windham Hill's founder, Will Ackerman, heard a tape of her compositions developed from her improvisations, he signed her to record her debut album in 1983, “Solid Colors”. Liz has since recorded:
* Unaccountable Effect, 1985
* Part of Fortune, 1988
* Speechless, 1989
* Escape of the Circus Ponies, 1990
* My Foolish Heart, 1992 (reissued 2009 by Valley Entertainment)
* The Gift, 1994
* Liz Story, 1996
* 17 Seconds to Anywhere, 1998
* Welcome Home: The Very Best of Liz Story, 2001
* Night Sky Essays, 2005
* Pure Liz Story, 2006
Liz Story recently signed with DMI after recording a number of best-selling, critically acclaimed albums for Windham Hill and RCA Records. Those releases highlighted her classical piano background, fused with a wide range of styles embracing jazz, folk, pop and impressionistic music.