n , her self-released 2017 debut, pianist Alexis Lombre deftly balanced her instrument’s dual rhythmic and melodic roles. Her percussive, wide-fingered lower-register splays created the impetus for freedom-bound explorations that were chordal in conception yet dancing in execution; on ballads, she demonstrated an emotional maturity well beyond her years, invoking deep sentiment without crossing into bathos. Honoring such role models
