There’s a winning balance of innovation and tradition on this New Orleans pianist’s first recording as a leader. The originals include swinging pieces (“Aria", “Parade” and “Passepied”), plus the elegant “Ballade". Meanwhile, the covers range from tweaks on the expected (a soul-jazzy version of Monk’s “I Mean You”) to the cutely provocative (“You Are Special", composed by a certain Mister Rogers). Along with a solid backing band, it’s Fortner’s sterling piano technique—full of references to blues and Western classical counterpoint alike—that holds the proceedings together.