Lauded for her authoritative touch and a prolific musical output that ran the gamut from poetically spacious to fiercely swinging, Baltimore native Jessica Williams distinguished herself among a formidable field of jazz pianists of her time. Classically trained at Peabody, Williams, who died in March 2022 at the age of 73, gained unimpeachable old-school jazz cred through associations with Philly Joe Jones, Eddie Harris, Charlie Rouse and Leroy Vinnegar. Her two-volume Live at Yoshi’s with Ray Drummond and Victor Lewis is the very model of modern straight-ahead trio playing. Late in her career she recorded solo piano extensively for the Origin label, resulting in the captivating Songs of Earth, Songs for a New Century, Touch, The Art of the Piano and Billy’s Theme: A Tribute to Dr. Billy Taylor. Her writing was consistently fresh, her interpretations of Coltrane, Mingus, Monk and other pioneers always incisive.